In a major breakthrough, the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) in Surat has busted an inter-state gang specializing in thefts from paying guest (PG) accommodations and hostels, arresting two suspects: Fardin Ehsan Alvi (22) and Tabrez Khan alias Rahul (26), both residents of Delhi.
According to police, the gang operated across six states — Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh — targeting unattended PG rooms and hostels. Their primary targets were laptops and mobile phones, which they later sold at Delhi’s infamous Chor Bazar.
The arrests were made after the DCB received a tip-off about the duo’s plan to strike a hostel in Surat. Acting swiftly, officials apprehended the suspects near the BAPS temple in Adajan.
The investigation revealed that the gang would search online for PGs and hostels, visit the premises posing as guests, and steal unattended electronics and valuables. They used the same strategy while traveling through multiple cities, making tracking them a challenge.
Between them, the two men are linked to at least 27 criminal cases. Tabrez Khan alone has 10 FIRs, including six in Ahmedabad’s Vastrapur police station, and others in Faridabad, Gurugram, and Chandigarh. He had also been booked under PASA (Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act) earlier. Fardin Alvi has theft cases pending in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
In June, the duo allegedly stole 25 mobile phones from Haryana’s Industrial Model Township. Police recovered two phones, a laptop, and Rs75,000 in cash during the arrest. Investigations are ongoing to trace other members of the gang.
