The three were arrested and 55 batteries and one car recovered from them. (Representational)
Three men, who allegedly took only 30 seconds to steal a battery from a car and have stolen over 5,000 batteries from south Delhi, have been arrested, the police said today.
The accused were identified as Sahzad, 28, Gul Mohmad, 31, and Zuber, 22.
On December 15, the police received information that a gang of thieves had stolen 90 car batteries in one night from multiple areas in south Delhi, officials said.
"During investigation, police received information about the movement of the alleged culprits. After getting the information, police laid a trap near New Friends Colony," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ram Gopal Naik said.
The three were arrested and 55 batteries and one car recovered from their possession, the police said.
During interrogation, they confessed to stealing the batteries, Mr Naik said.
According to the DCP, the accused used to reach their targeted area in a car. One person would keep the vehicle ready, in case they needed to flee, while the second person posed as a security guard and kept watch over the surroundings. Another person, meanwhile, stole the batteries.
At a time, they stole approximately 40-50 batteries from one place, the DCP said, adding that the gang has stolen more than 5,000 batteries in the last 15 months.