Mumbai attackers stole credit cards, money: police

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The militants who attacked India's financial center last month, killing 179 people, also stole credit cards, money and mobile telephones from their victims, Mumbai's top police officer said on Monday.

The stolen goods and currency included thousands of rupees and dollars found on the bodies of the nine gunmen killed by police during the three-day siege in Mumbai. A 10th gunmen survived and was captured by police.

"We have no idea what they were planning to do with the money and cards, but it just speaks a lot more about their evil nature and the fact that criminals love stealing money and cards," Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor told Reuters.

The attack has soured relations between uneasy nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan.

India has blamed the banned Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attacks and called on Islamabad to do more to stamp out groups that operate from its soil.

The gunmen took scores of guests hostage and battled commandos inside two luxury Mumbai hotels.

"They took quite a few credit cards and a lot of money," Gafoor said by telephone.

"Since they are all dead, we can only presume that they liked the more colorful (credit cards) and took them," he said.

The 10th gunman, identified as Pakistani Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, told police he had lived a life of petty crime before coming in contact with Lashkar-e-Taiba in the city of Rawalpindi, according to media reports of his statement to police.

Kasab was captured before reaching either of the hotels.

The gunmen also took mobile phones from hostages. Some of them then used the phones to call an Indian television channel and to speak with their bosses in Pakistan, police said.

Security experts said the gunmen had criminal backgrounds.

"They all belong to ordinary families and they were out of there early to make quick money until they got indoctrinated into jihadi activities," said security expert Major General Ashok Mehta.

The gunmen also set off bombs inside the two hotels, causing significant damage.

The 105-year-old Taj Mahal hotel will reopen this week, its owner has said. The hotel has set up a welfare trust for victims.

(Editing by Paul Tait)