The Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested the mastermind of ‘Namaste gang’ which targeted vehicle drivers and looted their belongings by offering them “namaste” (salutation) in eastern, Dwarka and outer districts of the city.
The Shahdara police arrested 37-year-old Wasim, a Gautam Vihar resident. His other gang members, Javed and Iqrar, were arrested earlier in connection with the case.
According to police, the gang targeted people travelling in vehicles. While Javed used to engage the driver in a conversation after greeting him with a ‘namaste’, the other two robbed the occupants of the vehicle.
“The gang gets active when vehicles stop at traffic lights,” a senior police official said.
He said the gang has adopted the same modus operandi as that of the notorious ‘Thak Thak’ gang. This gang first stops vehicles by puncturing their tires or pouring oil on the bonnets of cars, thus diverting the attention of drivers.
When the unsuspecting drivers stop to check on the vehicles, other members of the gang would ambush to steal laptop bags, mobile phones, and other valuables from the cars.