Delhi Police busts two major auto-theft gangs; seven held, eight stolen vehicles recovered

New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) In a major crackdown on organised auto theft, Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has busted two inter-state rackets operating across Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Manipur.

A total of seven accused have been arrested and 8 stolen vehicles recovered, including high-end models like the Mahindra Thar, Toyota Innova, and Maruti Brezza.

The operations were led by the Central and Eastern Ranges of the Crime Branch. The Central Range team, acting on a tip-off, arrested three notorious auto-lifters -- Rohit, Rajender alias Tinu, and Satbir alias Sonu alias Amritsariya -- from West Delhi.

One stolen Maruti Eeco car, four chassis plates, vehicle parts, and tools used for dismantling were seized. Satbir, identified as the mastermind, is a repeat offender with five past cases. Rohit and Rajender were responsible for stealing and dismantling vehicles, selling parts in Delhi’s grey markets like Mayapuri.

In a parallel operation, the Eastern Range-I team tracked a stolen vehicle being delivered to Siliguri, West Bengal. Four accused -- Mohd. Dildar, Kaiminlen Haopik, Md. Jaani alias Toni and Arjun were apprehended. The team recovered three stolen vehicles and seized fake registration plates, forged RCs, 10 Mahindra flip keys, and a number plate punching machine.

Investigations revealed a well-networked syndicate where vehicles were stolen on demand—especially Mahindra Thar models—and rerouted to the Northeast using forged documents.

Accused Dildar was found to have delivered six such Thar vehicles previously. Jaani, a history-sheeter with 11 cases, specialised in stealing Thars, while Arjun manufactured fake number plates. Police said the racket used a network of lifters, forgers, drivers, and receivers to move stolen vehicles undetected. Several FIRs across Delhi have been solved through these arrests.

“The Delhi Police Crime Branch Team’s unwavering dedication, strategic foresight, and proactive approach led to the successful dismantling of a well-organised vehicle theft syndicate. The team continues to investigate the incriminating evidence to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate,” said DCP Vikram Singh.

--IANS

sas/dan