The woman was caught yesterday with an unconscious victim at the Oberoi complex near Lokhandwala at Andheri. Her two accomplices, who were following her on a scooter, too were arrested. All three, police said, have confessed to the crime. The man in whose car the woman was caught is still unconscious and has been admitted to a nearby hospital.

Explaining the gang's modus operandi, Senior Police Inspector Anandrao Kadam said they used to target men in expensive cars. The woman, who changed her names from Mahini to Happy to Neha to Saba as easily as she spotted victims, would ask for lift from lone male drivers. A few minutes after getting into the car, she would offer the driver chocolates saying it was her birthday.

While she would offer chocolates to the victim, sheate one herself to make it all look natural. Only, the other chocolate would be laced with intoxicants.

The driver would fall unconscious within seconds and the Mahini would skillfully control the car and pull it aside. She would then proceed to remove all valuables from her victim's person - jewellery, cash, suitcase, mobile - and fled with her accomplices. The victim, however, remained unconscious for the next 40 hours.

For the last four months a two-member team of Police inspector Ajayendra Thakur and police sub-inspector Kalpana Gadekar was tailing the gang.

Yesterday they managed to catch Mahini red-handed at the Oberoi complex near Lokhandwala at Andheri.

Mahini's accomplices have been identified as her husband Hasim Khan alias Aslam Khan alias Babu Khan alias Saltan Khan and the one Rajendra Singh alias Raju alias Pappi alias Avtar Singh.

Senior Inspector Kadam said the stretch between Mithibai College in Vile Parle and Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri was the gang's favourite area ofoperation and 9 pm to 10.30 pm their preferred time. A police constable had infact seen Mahini once with an unconscious man at Vile Parle, but she had told him that he was her husband and asked for a doctor.