Thieves are always trying new ways in order to distract you and steal from you. Here is a new method they have devised, from which Meenal had a lucky escape.
Meenal says – “The things that can happen to you in broad daylight in the national capital. A close encounter with the “chemical spray” biker gang. The driver’s quick thinking saved the day for us.
Here’s what happened. While on our way to Gurgaon, somewhere a little ahead of Saket, two guys on a bike ahead of us gestured to the driver that oil was leaking from our car. The driver started coughing a little and got out to see the black oily spray on the front grill.
Since he had heard about this before he asked me to quickly get out of the car with my bag etc and then he took the key out and left all doors open. By now I was coughing too. The car had acidic fumes. I called the police, though I didn’t know who to report against.
What this gang does is that they spray this black oily chemical on the grill so that the fumes get in and the driver is forced to stop and get out. In the ensuing confusion they make away with any valuables in the car and sometimes even the car itself if the key is inside. The police knew all about it and told me to be careful.
Other Incidents caught on Camera
Delhi’s infamous Thak Thak gang has been also caught doing similar activities. The number of phones this gang has been stealing from people stuck in traffic, is increasing exponentially.
The latest attack of Thak Thak gang has been caught on camera by Siddhartha Mishra?. The incident took place earlier this week at Pandav Nagar / Samaspur Jagir in Delhi. As per Mr Mishra, this is what happened –
“I am uploading a video from my car dashboard camera recorder (dashcam) showing one person in a blue shirt crossing the road and stealing a mobile phone from a passenger in a cab. This happened at Pandav Nagar / Samaspur Jagir crossing on NH24 on 15 03 2018 at around 9.37 PM. Not only are these persons stealing but also a danger to innocent drivers who might hit these people and suffer for no fault of theirs.”
Watch the video below.
I am uploading a video from my car dashboard camera recorder (dashcam) showing one person in a blue shirt crossing the road and stealing a mobile phone from a passenger in a cab. This happened at Pandav Nagar / Samaspur Jagir crossing on NH24 on 15 03 2018 at around 9.37 PM. Not only are these persons stealing but also a danger to innocent drivers who might hit these people and suffer for no fault of theirs.
Posted by Siddhartha Mishra on Thursday, 15 March 2018
This is not the first time the infamous Thak Thak gang has been caught on camera. Mr Awini Ambuj Shanker was driving his Porsche and this happened. He shares his story –
On the morning of August 2nd 2017 I was stuck in slow moving traffic just outside AIIMS, and the person in blue crossed my car pretending to look into his phone, but actually he was looking into cars for possible victims.
I unfortunately became one because my phone was lying on the passenger seat rather than somewhere more secure. As I started moving along with the traffic I heard a thud from the rear of the car, I thought i had accidentally hit someone, suddenly the same fellow in blue came up to my window and pretended that I had hit him with my car, as I rolled my window down to enquire what had happened, I did not see the second fellow in grey approach from the right side of the car.
He then hit the drivers side window, which made me look away for a few seconds, which was all that the first chap needed to steal my phone without me noticing it. Since I have a dash cam in my car, the act was caught on video. These videos were given to the police within hours along with my FIR# 0252 at P.S.Hauz Khas, but unfortunately they have had no luck in apprehending these criminals.
Please share and forward to your friends and others so that more people don’t fall victim to the likes of these villains. Watch the video below.
This is not the first time members of the Thak Thak gang have been caught on camera. A few days ago, a Delhi businessman was robbed of INR 3.5 lakhs by the Thak-Thak Gang in north Delhi’s Manju Ka Tila. Pradeep Singh, a resident of Vijay Colony in Burari was returning home with a bag containing the money kept in his Duster SUV.
He had parked on the side of the road to make an urgent call when two men knocked on his car window asking if they should clean his bonnet as oil had spilled on it. Even as Singh ignored the duo, they followed him and stopped him while they attacked him with a pepper spray. While Singh got out of the vehicle in search of water, the duo fled with the bag containing the cash.
The Thak-Thak gang operates around Delhi NCR area and is noted for a similar modus operandi. Delhites have been warned of such robberies and have been told to be wary of their ways of getting drivers to lower their car windows with stories of spilled oil and offers to wipe windshields.
Earlier last month, the Thak-Thak gang also decamped with INR 2 lakhs from a Moradabad based builder near Thakurdwara flyover. The victim, Sunil Arora was in his Range Rover when he was followed by two men on a bike. They stopped him and made off with the bag containing the money.
Another Delhi couple was also a victim to the gang. Ravinder Khari and his doctor wife Renu were on their way to Nainital in their Innova when they were robbed of INR 2 lakhs in cash and jewelry at the Mohan Nagar crossing. They were made to get down from their vehicle with a warning that Mobil oil was leaking from their radiator. As soon as he stepped out of the car to inspect the same, the bag was stolen.
Below is a video shot by an alert citizen, showing the audacity of these thieves. Not scared of stealing from a car during peak hours, in the middle of the road.
Failed attempt of THAK-THAK gang captured by me at – Mukarba Chowk, Delhi, Date: 22 Oct. 2016, Saturday, Time: 1:35 pmThis may help you all to know their "modus operandi". Total three members, first start by browsing the crawling cars on a traffic signal or jam and then zeroing upon the victim based on mobile/valuables kept on seat, start the operation by intentionally colliding with the car (in this case the man in white shirt on the left of the car) and engaging the driver to stop or roll windows. Commissioner of Police, Delhi Crime Branch of India
Posted by Amit Gupta on Monday, 24 October 2016