Trio who stole autos by day, committed robberies at night arrested

Three members of the alleged gang, who were arrested from Virar, were habitual offenders and were involved in at least three autorickshaw thefts and two house break-ins, police said

MUMBAI: The Vanrai police on Sunday busted a gang that used to steal autorickshaws during the day and commit robberies at night using the same autorickshaws, to avoid being identified by cops. Three members of the alleged gang, who were arrested from Virar, were habitual offenders and were involved in at least three autorickshaw thefts and two house break-ins, police said.

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The arrested accused were identified as Sachin Ashok Gavas, Yogesh Ishwar Rathod and Taufiq Naushad Khan.

Police started probing the activities of the alleged gang after an iron rod weighing 130 kilos was stolen from a shop in Goregaon East on November 18 and a house robbery case was registered against an unknown person, based on a complaint by Pratik Nitin Mehta. Additional commissioner of police Shashi Kumar Meena and deputy commissioner of police Mahesh Chimte also took serious note of the recent spike in theft and burglary cases in Goregaon East and Aarey Milk Colony, and ordered the local police to undertake a special operation to arrest the accused.

While examining CCTV footage of the house robbery case, police found that the accused had fled in an autorickshaw after committing the offence. They followed the route taken by the autorickshaw and traced the three accused to Virar based on technical information.

After the accused trio was arrested on Sunday, they confessed to being habitual criminals and said they were behind two recent house break-ins in the forest area as well as three rickshaw thefts, one each from Borivali, Goregaon and Andheri.

“The trio would conduct reconnaissance during the day, commit thefts and house break-ins at night and flee from the spot in stolen three-wheelers. Goods worth ₹10 lakh have been seized from them,” a police officer familiar with the case said.

All three accused were produced before a magistrate court in Borivali and were remanded in police custody for five days, the officer said.