Varanasi, July 30 -- A police team posed as pilgrims and tourists busted an interstate gang of thieves and arrested 16 of its members from a paying guest house in the Lahartara area of Varanasi, police said on Monday. The gang members, who had been living in the guest house, were allegedly involved in stealing jewellery, purses, luggage and mobile phones from tourists and pilgrims in Varanasi, said T Saravanan, deputy commissioner of police (crime). Among the arrested were 13 women and 3 men. Six yellow metal chains, two silver anklets, three mobile phones, six chain cutters, and Rs 1,00,400 in cash were recovered from their possession. The total value of the recovered items is estimated at Rs 10 lakh. Two complaints of theft were recently lodged at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Based on those, cases were registered under various sections of BNS. Four police teams were deployed to investigate the thefts, including one team disguised as pilgrims and another in plain clothes. Police teams led by assistant commissioner of police Dashashwamedh, Atul Anjan Tripathi, reviewed footage from over 120 CCTV cameras, including cameras installed along the Kanwariya routes. The investigation led officers to a guest house in Lahartara, where the gang was staying. A police team conducted a raid at the location and arrested the accused. They specifically targeted tourists from South India, Maharashtra, Kolkata and other states. The gang operated around Ganga ghats and major temples and preferred staying in guest houses to avoid detection. They were active mainly during months when the city experienced heavy tourist footfall. htc...