Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to arrest.

1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 126: My eyes, if Bill Soames warn’t nippered only for a fogle little better than a wipe.
1824		Egan Boxiana IV 150: The Pope being nippered and brought to face the Beak.

2. (US und.) to break into a house by using ‘nippers’ (a burglars’ tool) to pick the lock.

1851		‘Greenhorn’ [G. Thompson] Bristol Bill 83/2: ‘I am determined to have those papers [...] if I am obliged to have Mr. McKeon ’s house “nippered,” or have the next house entered, if his is too secure’.
[1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 53: Nippers, a instrument used by thieves for turning a key].

3. to place in handcuffs.

1943		R.L. Bellem ‘Heads You lose’ in Dan Turner Hollywood Detective Feb. 🌐 I went to my desk, got a spare pair of bracelets [...] Then I nippered the yellow-haired cupcake’s left wrist to a leg of the divan.
1945		R.L. Bellem ‘Poison Payoff’ Hollywood Detective Dec. 🌐 I surged at the conga expert; yanked a set of handcuffs from my back pocket and stabbed them at his wrists. Before he knew it, he was nippered.