A gang behind a series of tyre thefts from cars parked in residential streets has been busted and five members have been arrested, Ludhiana police said on Tuesday. As many as 31 stolen tyres, along with a Hyundai Verna car used in the crimes, have been seized.
The arrested accused have been identified as Gurjeet Singh, Shivraj Singh, Manoj Kumar alias Amit, Balwinder Singh alias Jashan, and Mandeep Singh alias Deepu—all residents of Amritsar. Notably, Jashan and Deepu are scrap dealers who allegedly bought the stolen tyres.
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP city) Rupinder Singh said the gang had been active in Ludhiana for the past month. “The accused conducted recces in residential colonies, marking new cars and SUVs, and targeted them at midnight. They have confessed to stealing tyres from nine vehicles, mainly in Deep Singh Nagar, Upkar Nagar and Kundanpuri,” he said.
The accused were captured on CCTV cameras during two incidents. Following technical analysis, the police traced and arrested them. An FIR under Sections 303(3) and 3(5) of the BNS has been registered at division number 8 police station.
Division number 8 SHO, sub-inspector Amarjeet Singh, said Gurjeet and Shivraj executed the thefts while Manoj acted as a middleman, selling the stolen tyres to scrap dealers Deepu and Jashan. “The gang confessed that they specifically chose Ludhiana because of its luxury cars and also believed the distance from Amritsar would help them evade detection,” the SHO said.
{{/usCountry}}Division number 8 SHO, sub-inspector Amarjeet Singh, said Gurjeet and Shivraj executed the thefts while Manoj acted as a middleman, selling the stolen tyres to scrap dealers Deepu and Jashan. “The gang confessed that they specifically chose Ludhiana because of its luxury cars and also believed the distance from Amritsar would help them evade detection,” the SHO said.
{{/usCountry}}Police officials added that further interrogation may reveal more cases linked to the gang.