RPF busts train theft racket hiring youths on salary, 3 held

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested three members of an organised gang that allegedly recruited unemployed youths on a fixed monthly salary to commit thefts on moving trains, officials said.

The accused, Kailash Das (42) from Khagaria in Bihar, Mithilesh Shah (29) and Kishan Nishad (22) from Chhattisgarh, were detained during a special anti-theft drive launched to curb rising incidents of theft on trains across central India.

Officials said interrogation has exposed a well-organised interstate criminal network operating across multiple railway routes. The gang’s mastermind , also from Khagaria, remains absconding.

He allegedly recruited unemployed youths , offering them salaries between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 per month, and provided structured training in committing thefts on trains, including methods to target passengers and avoid detection during journeys.

The network is believed to have expanded across several regions , including Nagpur, Itwari, Bhilai, Raigarh and Bilaspur, indicating coordinated movement across states and railway divisions.

Investigators also said the gang functioned in a systematic manner , assigning roles to recruits and operating in different groups to avoid detection during surveillance operations.

Officials confirmed that the probe remains active and that further arrests are likely , as teams continue to trace additional members linked to the network and identify the full extent of its operations.