‘Uncle sends his regards’: Mumbai thieves use innovative WhatsApp codes to run pickpocket gang
The WhatsApp codes were allegedly used to know if every gang member was safe, if anyone was caught by the cops or if the day’s planning could be executed.
In a case of high-tech pickpocketing, a gang in Mumbai employed WhatsApp codes as their secret communication method, according to a report by the Times of India. The gang, known as the Dhakka gang, used daily-changing codes to check if members were safe and if it was a good time to execute a theft. The police, led by DCP Datta Nalawade, managed to crack these codes, leading to the arrest of two members and the recovery of 135 smartphones worth between ₹90,000 and ₹1.5 lakh.
The gang avoided targeting iPhones due to their high resale value in the black market and the difficulty in unlocking them. The operation involved distracting victims on BEST buses while the main "Machine" member stole their belongings. After the theft, the gang members would disperse by exiting at different bus stops.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
