11 held for car thefts across States

30 vehicles recovered; gang operated all over north India

Big haul: The gang claimed to have stolen over 500 cars from Delhi in the past year and a half.

Eleven members of an inter-State gang that stole cars have been arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch, the police said on Friday.

The gang operated in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and the north-east, the police said, adding that 30 luxury cars have been recovered.

Modus operandi

The accused, identified as Mohd Sibbu, Aamir, Safiq, Mohd Arzad Ali, Y.M. Sabir Ahmed, Asrar Hussain, Kewal alias Kamal alias Lala, Vinay Kumar, Tarun Seoran alias Meenu, Rajesh Kumar alias Rajesh Moga, Atul Chunni Bhai Movalia alias Atul Patel, were arrested in a one-month-long operation.

Explaining the modus operandi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Alok Kumar said the gang would first buy cars from scrap dealers and get their hands on the papers, after which they would locate cars of the same make and colour.

“The gang would steal these vehicles and forge documents using the ones procured from scrap dealers. They would then sell the car in the open market with help of associates across various States,” he said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that they had stolen over 500 cars from Delhi in the past year and a half, and disposed them in several States.