'Thak-Thak' gang member arrested in Delhi

A member of the infamous "Thak-Thak" gang - known for first distracting car drivers and then walking away with their valuables - was arrested here in connection with a series of bag-snatching cases, police said Wednesday.

With the arrest, police claimed to have solved 11 cases of theft in the national capital.

D Gopal Krishan, 31, a resident of Tiruchirappalli district in Tamil Nadu, was arrested from New Delhi's Connaught Place area.

"He (Krishan) committed dozens of incidents of bag-lifting from cars in Delhi by diverting the attention of the occupants after throwing currency notes on roads," Deputy Commissioner of Police Jatin Narwal said.

With his arrest, Narwal said, police have worked out 11 incidents of theft from New Delhi's Connaught Place, Paharganj, Janpath, and other areas.

Narwal said the gang is infamous for its unique modus operandi in which they target a driver by knocking on his car's window and then draw him out of the car by saying he had dropped his money.

"After diverting the attention of the occupant of the car, the gang members would lift bags containing cash, jewellery, laptop and other valuables from the vehicle," Narwal said.

Police also recovered one spring-activated knife and 15 stolen bags from Krishnan's possession.