In a place where most vehicles on roads are two-wheelers, it’s no surprise that motorbikes have become the preferred target of young thieves.
As per police estimates, around 100 two-wheelers were stolen from various places in Ernakulam over the past three months. Of these, Kochi accounts for the most number of cases, followed by places such as Aluva, Thripunithura and Kakkanad.
According to the police, motorcycles are easy to steal and sell as scrap or even as used vehicles, typically attracting ‘entry-level criminals’. Further, there is a high demand for stolen bikes among rackets engaged in drug peddling and chain-snatching operations, officials say.
“Even school students, who steal bikes to make quick bucks, have been caught for the offence,” they add.
Admitting that the business of stolen bikes has an annual turnover of crores of rupees, they say catching the youngsters is difficult because they don’t have any criminal background. Further, stolen vehicles are quickly sold to scrap dealers at dirt cheap prices
“In theory, any stolen vehicle can be traced by its chassis and engine numbers, but in reality it is an impossible task,” they say.
Inter-State thieves
Attention women, be careful while travelling in a bus or attending a public function, as anybody can land you in trouble.
The Ernakulam Rural police have a problem on hand now – an inter-State gang of women thieves. According to officials, at least three cases have been reported in the rural area over the past one week.
“The frequency of such cases is on the rise because women, especially the elderly, are always soft targets,” says an officer.
Officials attribute the influx of thieves to the upcoming festival season in the State. The police are expecting them at places where women and children turn up in large numbers such as temples or churches. Despite the shortage of women officers, the police are trying their best to catch them by deploying shadow police teams in such places.
Hiran Unnikrishnan
