The Koramangala police, on Saturday, arrested two men who allegedly duped several people who were trying to sell high-end motorcycles online.
One of them is Ayyappa, a 27-year-old executive with a job consultancy service, and the other is Saleem, (29), a technician. Five bikes, each valued at over Rs. 1 lakh, were recovered.
Modus operandi
Nikhil, an employee in the IT sector, alerted the police to the duo’s modus operandi.
Last month, Nikhil put up his bike for sale on a popular online portal. The duo met him on June 17 for a test drive, said Nikhil in his complaint to the police.
While Saleem took the bike for a test drive, Ayyappa asked Nikhil for the original documents. “Under the pretext of making photocopies, he quietly left,” the police said. Soon, several similar complaints came to light.
With the help of mobile phone details and other information provided by Nikhil, a team led by Inspector Ajay R. M. of Koramangala Police Station zeroed in on Saleem’s location on J.C. Road. They kept a close watch for many days. On spotting a stolen bike, they nabbed Saleem, who led them to Ayyappa.
According to the police, Ayyappa had borrowed a huge sum of money but was unable to repay the loan. “He hit upon the idea of stealing bikes with their original documents and selling them,” said Inspector Ajay.
According to the police, cheating on online platforms is rampant. “Gullible students and IT professionals who have to relocate on a short notice and need to dispose items quickly are soft targets,” a source said.
Earlier this month, the HAL police arrested a 19-year-old student who stole an SUV from a techie on the pretext of taking the vehicle for a test drive.
