2 Thief Arrested in Delhi for Using Monkeys To Steal Cash

Two men roaming the streets of Delhi wearing overalls to rob unsuspecting victims were arrested, police said on Saturday. The couple was arrested after a victim complained to officers that three men wearing overalls had surrounded him and stole 6,000 rupees from him, a local police officer told AFP.

Authorities have been dealing with the threat posed by monkeys in Delhi and other populated cities, where they often enter homes in search of food. But it is illegal to capture them under a 1972 law.

“When the victim was sitting in an autorickshaw, the men also entered (the vehicle) and asked one monkey to sit in the front seat and one in the back,” the official said.

“They took the money that the lawyer had in his wallet and fled with the monkeys.”

Police suspected the gang was behind other similar robberies and officers set up a dedicated team to track down the culprits, who were arrested Thursday at a bus stop.