New Delhi: Delhi Police employed cutting-edge technology to solve a snatching case, using Artificial Intelligence to "unmask" a masked criminal who had stolen a woman’s mobile phone in north Delhi.
The accused, Afnan Ali, was captured committing the crime on CCTV footage, but his identity remained unclear due to his mask.
DCP (North) Raja Banthia said the incident occurred on November 24, when the complainant reported that her mobile phone was snatched the previous day near Tyre Market, Pahari Dheeraj Main Road.
According to the woman, an unknown person approached her from behind, snatched her mobile phone, and fled towards Gali Tyre Wali, Sadar Bazar.
A case was registered, and a team was formed to apprehend the culprit swiftly.
"We began working on CCTV footage and tracked the snatcher’s route. In one clip, the accused was seen running after snatching the mobile phone of the complainant," the DCP said.
However, the investigation hit a roadblock as the accused's identity could not be determined because he was wearing a mask.
At this point, the technically skilled investigative team used Artificial Intelligence to virtually remove the mask from the CCTV video.
"The mask was removed using AI techniques, and a clearer image of the accused was extracted," Banthia explained. This was enough for the police to activate their secret informers.
The accused, Afnan Ali (23), a resident of Sadar Bazar, was eventually identified through technical surveillance and intelligence gathering. A raid was conducted, and he was arrested.
The police recovered the snatched mobile phone and seized the clothes worn by the accused at the time of the crime. During interrogation, Afnan revealed that he had been released from Tihar Jail just seven days before the incident and had resumed his criminal activities.