JOIN USAfghan MP targeted by translator thief
An Afghan Member of Parliament became a victim of theft by his translator at a hotel in southeast Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar. Syed Ghulam Farooq Mirranay is in the capital for medical treatment.
Among the items stolen were three arms licences, including one of an AK-47 assault rifle, police said on Thursday.
Police were alarmed due to the possibility of the arms license being misused by anti-social elements and terrorists in view of the upcoming Republic Day celebrations.
The accused, identified as 21-year-old Afghan national Noorullah Arab, was arrested within nine hours of filing an FIR at Lajpat Nagar police station. He was living in a rented house at southeast Delhi’s Bhogal.
“Noorullah claims to be a translator and a boxer, who went to a school in Pakistan. He was staying with his mother, brother and sister,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav.
Mirranay is a senior member of the Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Mellat). He arrived in Delhi on January 17 and was contacted by Noorullah, who introduced himself as a translator.
Noorullah accompanied Mirranay from Indira Gandhi International Airport to Amar Hotel in Lajpat Nagar. Noorullah also stayed with Mirranay at his hotel room for some time.
“Noorullah fled with the valuables when Mirranay went to use the washroom,” Yadav added. Apart from the three arms licences, Mirranay told police that Noorullah took his wallet, iPhone, 4,600 US dollars, passport, ID cards and debit cards.
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police was also informed that an Afghan national posing as translator was stealing from Afghan tourists.
The call data record of Noorullah’s mobile phone was analysed and police received a tip-off regarding his presence at Kasturba Niketan in Lajpat Nagar. He was arrested within hours along with some of the stolen articles.
On being questioned, Noorullah told police that he introduced himself as a translator to tourists from Afghanistan and arranged their accommodation at hotels in Delhi. He used to steal their valuables on getting a suitable opportunity.
“Being foreign nationals, the victims usually did not lodge any complaint with police and preferred to return to their country to avoid legal hassles,” Yadav added.
In this case, Noorullah was arrested as Mirranay approached the Afghanistan embassy. He was advised to lodge a police complaint.
The details of other victims are being verified through the analysis of the call data record of Noorullah’s mobile phone.