Chhattisgarh Police's Undercover Operation in Delhi
In a daring undercover operation, police officers from Chhattisgarh's Durg district disguised themselves as goat traders and census officials in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh to track down an alleged interstate theft syndicate kingpin. The accused, identified as Nasir Anas Khan, is believed to be the mastermind behind a series of high-value burglaries across multiple cities, including Bhilai, Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Bhopal, Indore, and Chandigarh. The operation culminated in a high-speed chase of nearly 300 kilometers on the Yamuna Expressway, leading to his arrest.
The Investigation Begins
The operation was launched earlier this month after multiple theft complaints were filed from areas such as Nehru Nagar, Supela, Padmanabhpur, and Durg city. During the initial investigation, police arrested Hashim Khan, a resident of Meerut, and later detained jeweller Salim Khan, who was allegedly involved in purchasing stolen gold ornaments. Officials recovered gold worth approximately Rs 60 lakh from them.
Interrogation of the arrested individuals led police to Nasir, who was identified as the key figure behind the network. However, tracking him down proved challenging as he frequently changed hideouts and avoided using his own identity while staying in hotels or rented accommodations in densely populated localities like Shaheen Bagh, Madanpur Khadar, and Noida.
Undercover Tactics: Goat Traders and Census Officials
To overcome the difficulties of direct surveillance in areas packed with multi-storey apartments, Durg SSP Vijay Agrawal said that police teams decided to blend into the neighbourhood. Some officers posed as goat traders, spending days mingling with local vendors and residents to gather intelligence. During this covert operation, the team reportedly sold around 12 goats to maintain their cover.
When this strategy did not yield concrete leads, the officers switched roles and pretended to be census officials. Going door-to-door, they casually collected information about suspicious tenants, visitors, and movement patterns in the locality. This week-long undercover exercise finally paid off when police received information that Nasir was planning to flee to Bihar's Darbhanga in a car allegedly bought using proceeds from stolen jewellery.
The High-Speed Chase on Yamuna Expressway
Durg police immediately launched a pursuit on the Yamuna Expressway. According to crime branch DSP Yudamani Sidar, the accused was driving at a speed of nearly 150-160 kmph while trying to evade capture. Police chased the vehicle for almost 300 kilometers before intercepting it and arresting him.
During interrogation, Nasir confessed to involvement in several major theft cases, police said. Based on his disclosures, police recovered valuables worth nearly Rs 20 lakh, including a diamond bracelet valued at around Rs 7 lakh, gold and silver ornaments, silver coins, Rs 1.22 lakh in cash, new branded clothes, and a luxury SUV allegedly purchased using stolen money.
Luxury Lifestyle and Interstate Links
Officials said the accused had been living a “luxury lifestyle” while constantly moving between cities to stay ahead of law enforcement agencies. Nasir, originally from Bihar's Darbhanga district, was brought to Durg on transit remand, and further questioning is underway to trace other members of the gang and possible interstate links.
