New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) Three rag pickers were arrested in the national capital with valuables and cash totalling nearly Rs.10 lakh, police said Sunday. With the arrests the police claim to have solved 35 cases of theft.

According to the police, Mohammed Muzaffar, 23, Shiraj Ali Sheikh, 21, and Mohammed Qateel, 30, -- residents of Jama Masjid area -- were held from Shastri Park in east Delhi Friday.

"During interrogation, they told us that they were involved in burglaries in south Delhi and work for Irshad Bihari, the kingpin and brother of Muzaffar," said a Delhi Police officer.

Irshad Bihari is still absconding. "Efforts are on to nab him."

Irshad, hails from Arariya in Bihar and had migrated to Delhi 20 years ago.

Due to extreme poverty and absence of any source of income he formed his gang in Meena Bazar area in Jama Masjid where he was living on the footpath with his family.

"Soon he started committing burglaries in an organized and professional way and included his brothers and relatives in his gang," said the officer.

The gang generally commit burglaries during daytime and targeted locked flats after proper recee.

Muzaffar and Irshad had rented accommodations in Rohini and Shastri Park in Delhi and in Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pardesh to keep stolen items.

"Although they got rented flats in posh areas to keep the stolen property, they themselves lived in a park near Jama Masjid to avoid detection," said the police official.

"They are rag pickers but were fond of perfumes. They collected a variety of perfumes for their girlfriends," added the officer.

The police said the gang has committed around 35 thefts and the victims include a councillor, police officers and government servants.