Delhi Police arrest gang of interstate vehicle thieves

Police said they seized 21 cars, including 10 Toyota Fortuners and four Hyundai Creta, from the suspects. The cars recovered by the police were stolen from Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana, said police

Four men, part of an interstate gang of vehicle thieves who allegedly sold vehicles stolen from the NCR in Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, were arrested Friday, Delhi Police said.

Sharma said in the present case, police conducted raids and seized the stolen cars from the insurgency-hit areas in Manipur.

Preliminary investigation by the police has revealed that the gang was controlled by a man in Dubai.

Police said they seized 21 cars, including 10 Toyota Fortuners and four Hyundai Creta, from the suspects. The cars recovered by the police were stolen from Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana, said police.

Deputy commissioner of police (south west) Gaurav Sharma said the four men have been identified as Abid (30) (identified by his first name) from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, Mohammed Asif(33) from UP’s Meerut, Sagolsem Johnson Singh(27) from Manipur and Salman (identified by his first name) from Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Police said Johnson received the stolen vehicles in Manipur, changed the engine numbers of the vehicles (with the engine number of those sent for scrapping) and sold the vehicles to prospective buyers.

Police said that one of the key members of the gang, identified as Sarik Satta, is operating the gang from Dubai. Satta, a resident of Moradabad, has been arrested for stealing cars on several occasions by Delhi police. He was last arrested in 2018 and had come out on bail, after which he fled to Dubai, said police.

Sharma said in the present case, police conducted raids and seized the stolen cars from the insurgency-hit areas in Manipur.

“The first to be arrested was Abid, who was arrested from Uttam Nagar. He said he acts as a carrier in the gang. On October 3, he received a stolen Fortuner from three people at Delhi’s Kashmiri Gate and then handed over the car to Johnson and another person named Vidyasunder at Imphal (Manipur).”

Abid also told police that there are many vehicle thieves operating with their accomplices in Manipur.

Police are now working on identifying the other members of the gang. Police had started the probe in the theft of the Hyundai Creta, which was allegedly stolen from Safardjung Enclave in October.

Motor vehicle theft is the most common crime across the city. Until October 30 this year, at least 31,374 vehicles have been reported stolen.