200 cops take 6 hrs to catch 6 car thieves

It required more than 200 policemen to arrest a gang of six automobile thieves from a village in Haryana, reports HT Correspondent.

It required more than 200 policemen to arrest a gang of six automobile thieves from a village in Haryana.

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A Delhi Police team lay siege to a village in Palwal in Haryana and caught the six men after a six-hour struggle.

The gang was involved in more than 100 vehicle thefts in and around Delhi.

Those arrested have been identified as Mohammad Anees (22), the gang leader, Sazid Hussain (25), Arif (19), Mohd Arif (21), Mohd Arshad (22) and receiver of stolen vehicles Mohd Qayum (25). All belong to the same village in Palwal.

“On November 23, Hussain and Arif were arrested from Khirki (a crowded neighbourhood in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi) but Anees had managed to escape then,” said H.G.S. Dhaliwal, deputy commissioner of police (south).

During interrogation, it was found that Anees allegedly used to prepare the master keys with Arif’s help. “They used to sell a stolen motorcycle for Rs 2,000- 3,000 to some people in Mewat in Haryana," the officer said.

“It is very difficult to recover the stolen vehicles from Mewat as there is a strong cooperation amongst local residents and anti-social elements.”

Keeping in view the possible resistance and protest by the residents, a strong police team consisting of more than 200 personnel was sent to arrest the remaining accused and to recover the stolen vehicles on Friday night.

“All the exit and entry points leading to Kot village in Palwal district were manned in the wee hours and Anees, Mohd Arif (key maker), Arshad and Mohd Qayum (Receiver) were arrested,” Dhaliwal said.

Anees, Hussain and Arif used to come Delhi via a bus or a train and after committing thefts would return to their residence in the stolen vehicle, police said.

With their arrests, 13 motorcycles and a bunch of master keys and 17 instruments/figure sets used for changing the engine and chassis numbers were also recovered.