New Delhi, March 28 (IANS): Two members of a gang of train robbers were arrested here and 67 diamonds seized from them, police said Friday.

Following a tip off, Mukesh, 32, and Sunil, 25, were arrested Thursday close to the Sarai Kale Khan bus depot in south Delhi.

The accused were involved in a theft case in which jewellery worth Rs.35 lakh and other articles were taken from a Delhi-based woman in a train at the Chandigarh railway station.

"During interrogation, the accused confessed that they along with their associates stole the gold and diamond jewellery from the luggage of a woman passenger in Chandigarh Shatabdi Express in January this year," said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Ravindra Yadav.

Yadav said the arrested men were found to be involved in more than 15 incidents of train robberies, which are being verified.

"The gang operates in air conditioned (AC) compartments of long distance trains. The thieves would board the train from specific locations in Delhi, Ambala, Moradabad and Haridwar," said Yadav.

"After boarding the train, the gang used to choose a target. As soon as the passengers would move their luggage close to the exit door, the gang would swing into action," said the official.

According to Yadav, two or three gang members would come in between the luggage and the passengers thereby blocking their vision while one of them having a master key would open the suitcase and steal cash and jewellery.

"The accused would take not more than a minute in stealing the articles and locking the suitcase to show everything was normal," he added.