Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested Mohammad Farman, a core strategist of an interstate gang that looted sleeping bus passengers across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
A key member of an interstate gang who, along with other accomplices, fled after stealing 10 kg of silver and Rs 3 lakh cash from bus passengers in Karnataka has been arrested, police said on Saturday.
Officers said the gang members who targeted people in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh posed as passengers or, at times, bus staff to avoid suspicion. They would closely observe passenger behaviour, luggage placement, staff shift changes and security gaps before executing thefts. The thefts were usually carried out between 3 am and 5 am when most passengers were asleep and vigilance was minimal, enabling the gang members to steal valuables without detection.
Investigators said the arrested accused, Mohammad Farman (41), a resident of Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh, played a key role in planning operations and identifying targets. He was apprehended by a team of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch after an operation carried out in coordination with the Karnataka Police.
Farman was wanted in a case registered at Kundapura police station under Section 305 (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with the high-value theft committed aboard a bus. According to the police, the arrest followed a formal request from the Karnataka Police Crime Branch, which had been trying to trace the accused after he went underground.
On Friday, police received a tip-off that Farman would be passing through an NHAI toll plaza in Gurgaon. Acting swiftly, a raiding team led by senior officers laid a trap at the location and kept discreet surveillance. After confirming his identity, the accused was apprehended without resistance and later handed over for further legal proceedings.
“During sustained questioning, the accused told police that he was a core member of an organised interstate criminal network involved in multiple cases of bus thefts and dacoities across the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The accused is believed to be one of the principal strategists of the gang, responsible for planning operations, identifying targets, and directing the execution of offences. The disclosures made by the accused reveal a highly organised and methodical criminal operation characterised by systematic reconnaissance, deceptive tradecraft, and rapid mobility,” said DCP Crime Branch Harsh Indora.
Police records show that Farman has a criminal history spanning multiple states. In 2022, he was arrested by Bengaluru Police in a case related to preparation for dacoity. Officials described him as a habitual and desperate offender who has been involved in serious crimes over the years. Further investigation is underway to trace other members of the gang, establish their involvement in similar cases and recover stolen property.