Mumbai pickpocket ring uses daily-changing WhatsApp codes to evade police
Police in Andheri dismantled the Dhakka gang, whose members relied on shifting WhatsApp codes each morning to confirm safety before targeting commuters.
MIDC police in Andheri arrested members of the Dhakka gang after uncovering their reliance on a daily-changing WhatsApp code to verify that no one had been picked up by authorities. DCP Datta Nalawade explained that the messages served only to confirm safety before the thieves proceeded with their plans. The gang’s hierarchy assigned specific roles, and the leader’s morning WhatsApp call determined the day’s meeting location and target bus route.
After two members were taken into custody, the remaining operatives shifted their base to Juinagar in Navi Mumbai. Senior officers, including inspectors Ghanshyam Nair, Sunil Karande and Kiran Nawle, recovered 135 smartphones worth between Rs 90,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh, noting the thieves avoided iPhones due to unlocking difficulties and limited resale markets in Bangladesh and Nepal. Historical context shows Mumbai’s thieves have long used covert signals—from hand gestures to towels—but have increasingly adopted digital codes.
Why it matters
The case shows how traditional street crime adapts to modern messaging apps, challenging law-enforcement detection methods.
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