Three held for robbing cab drivers

Three people, including a Kenyan national, have been arrested for robbing taxi drivers after offering them cold drinks and beer laced with sedatives, police said on Friday.

Rohtash, 35, and Lallu Khan, 48, both residents of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, were arrested along with John, 45, a Kenyan national, on Thursday from south Delhi's Pushp Vihar area.

"Their modus operandi was to rob hired vehicles by drugging the drivers," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Prem Nath.

Rohtash informed police that he was previously arrested in cases of auto-lifting and in Tihar Jail he came in contact with John.

"After being released from jail, he again met John and Lallu and started committing auto theft. Later, they started drugging driver of taxis and cabs and robbing them of their vehicle," said the officer.

Rohtash, involved in at least 23 criminal cases, told police that the stolen vehicles were sold in Haryana between Rs.40,000 and Rs.50,000 with the help of Khan, a receiver of stolen vehicle.

"The gang used to hire a taxi from Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, Anand Vihar bus terminal or Ghazipur border on the pretext of going to Mathura or Agra," said the officer.

"For easy hiring of vehicle, they used to offer higher rates to taxi and cab drivers. On the way, they would buy cold drink or bottle of beer and mix some sedative in it. They would become friendly with the driver and offer the sedative-laced drink to him," said the officer.

Later, they would dump the driver on the road and flee with his vehicle, the officer said.

John, who has been residing in Delhi for four years, was earlier arrested under the Foreigners Act while Khan has also been involved in a case of attempt to murder.