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Inter-state gang of vehicle lifters busted in Ludhiana, six stolen cars recovered
Gang’s kingpin ran a business of used cars and sold stolen vehicles using forged documents under its garb, say police
The CIA Staff-2 claim to have busted an inter-state gang of vehicle lifters with the arrest of its kingpin and a member on Thursday.
As many as six vehicles, stolen from Delhi, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, have been recovered from them. These include two Toyota Innovas, two Maruti Suzuki Brezzas, a Maruti Suzuki Baleno and a Mahindra Scorpio.
The gang’s kingpin has been identified as Loveraj Singh, alias Raju, 40, of Karamwala village of Ferozepur Cantt, and his aide as Ankush Kumar, alias Sonu Bathla, 31, of Mahuana Bodla village, Fazilka.
Deputy commissioner of police (DCP, Investigation) Simratpal Singh Dhindsa said the CIA Staff-2 police arrested the accused near Tibba turn following a tip-off. They were travelling in a stolen Mahindra Scorpio bearing fake number plates.
“On being questioned, the accused confessed to have stolen the vehicle from Bhopal and wanting to sell it in the city using forged documents,” the DCP said.
Modus operandi
“The duo would travel by air to collect the stolen vehicles and drive them down to Ludhiana. As they are already in the trade of used cars, they managed to sell the stolen vehicles without suspicion,” the police official said
“They used the registration, chassis and engine numbers of genuine vehicles to prepare forged documents of stolen vehicles. The involvement of employees of the transport departments of various cities cannot be ruled out,” he added.
The accused were produced in court that sent them to three-day police remand. They will be interrogated to establish the number of vehicles stolen and sold by them, and their other gang members, the DCP said.
A case under Sections 379 (theft), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), 473 (making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged 1[document or electronic record]) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the accused at the Tibba police station.
