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The Railway Protection Force (RPF), Hyderabad Division, arrested a suspect involved in mobile phone thefts at Malakpet railway station on Wednesday during a targeted operation using drone surveillance. Acting on intelligence from an RPF Mitra, the 'Pink Patrol' unit deployed aerial drones and ground decoys to monitor suspicious activity along the MMTS route, leading to the interception of the individual before he could exit the station.
Women personnel from the SHAKTI team first observed the suspect behaving suspiciously, repeatedly approaching passengers in a manner consistent with pickpocketing. The drone unit confirmed the behavior through real-time aerial tracking, enabling the RPF team to move in for the arrest. Upon search, five stolen smartphones—Realme, Oppo, Poco, Xiaomi, and OnePlus—worth ₹64,480 were recovered, all without SIM cards.
The drones used in the operation are equipped with thermal imaging, night vision, HD video transmission, and long-range zoom capabilities, enhancing surveillance across suburban rail corridors. The 'Pink Patrol' initiative integrates drone technology with all-women SHAKTI teams and the 'Shakti Saathi' WhatsApp platform, allowing women passengers to directly report security concerns.
Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Debashmita C. Banerjee stated that the initiative has improved visible policing, citing 308 cases of unauthorized entry into ladies' coaches and 135 against trespassers since implementation. The suspect has been transferred to GRP/Kacheguda for further legal proceedings. RPF advises passengers to contact Railway Helpline 139 for emergencies.