A two-week undercover operation by the Vidhana Soudha police in Bengaluru has resulted in the arrest of two alleged members of a pickpocketing gang accused of targeting passengers on crowded Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses in the capital.
The operation was launched after a series of thefts reported along key BMTC routes earlier this month. Victims included commuters who lost their mobile phones during rush hour and an 84-year-old pensioner who was allegedly robbed of Rs 35,000 in cash shortly after withdrawing the amount from a bank for his monthly expenses.
During the investigation, police analysed CCTV footage from BMTC buses and identified a pattern in the suspects' movements. The accused were found to be boarding buses from Shivajinagar, Pulakeshinagar and Benson Town before travelling towards the central business district.
Based on CCTV footage and victim descriptions, investigators prepared facial sketches of the suspects. A four-member team from the Vidhana Soudha police station was then deployed in civil clothes, with one officer boarding identified BMTC routes every day for over 10 days while posing as an ordinary commuter.
The operation culminated when an undercover officer spotted two men matching the sketches boarding a BMTC bus near Shivajinagar. Backup teams were alerted and intercepted the bus near the Corporation bus stop, arresting the suspects without causing panic among passengers.
The arrested accused have been identified as Anwar Pasha (55), a resident of JJ Nagar, and Mubarak Pasha (30), from Kengeri.
The investigation has revealed that the gang allegedly targeted passengers while they were getting off crowded buses, stealing cash and mobile phones amid the rush. Police have also found that gang members allegedly used diversion tactics, including pretending to vomit from a bus window to distract passengers before stealing valuables from shirt pockets.
Police suspect more members of the gang are involved and have launched efforts to trace the remaining accused. The investigation is underway.
