Gang of minor bike thieves booked, 27 bikes recovered

They would take the two-wheelers for joyrides till the fuel ran out

Stolen wheels: The police said the bikes were recovered easily as the boys had parked them near residential buildings.

The investigation into a sudden spate of bike thefts in Mumbra led the police to some unlikely suspects: a group of nine boys aged ten to 15 years.

According to the Mumbra police, there had been an increase in incidents of motorcycles being stolen in the Charni Pada and Devri Pada area in Mumbra over the last few weeks, and a special team was formed to look into the matter.

“We observed that the bikes were being stolen from the same localities and decided to lay traps in these areas,” Deputy Commissioner of Police D.S. Swami, Zone I, Thane Police, said.

On Tuesday, one of the multiple teams formed to keep watch at all the locations picked up three young boys trying to steal a bike from Devri Pada. They were taken to the police station for inquiries, and their questioning led the police to six other boys.

Modified master key

“Investigations have revealed that the juvenile accused were stealing the bikes simply for joyrides and not for any monetary gain. They are all residents of the same localities. They would set out in search of bikes parked in secluded areas, so that they could steal them without being seen. They had a modified master key which could unlock several models of two-wheelers, which they used for the thefts,” Mr. Swami said.

He added that the boys would ride around on the bikes till they ran out of fuel, and would then park them in public parking spaces near residential buildings, where the two-wheelers wouldn’t draw attention for days.

Easier recovery

“Their intention was to have the bikes available in case the accused were able to procure petrol, so that they could use the same bikes again for a joyride again. This very habit helped us trace all the 27 two-wheelers that the accused have stolen so far. Had they abandoned them in a haphazard manner, there was a chance that the bikes could have been taken away by someone else or damaged in some manner,” Mr. Swami said.

The nine accused have been booked for motor vehicle theft under the Indian Penal Code and sent to the juvenile detention centre in Bhiwandi. The police are conducting inquiries to find out if any other boys were involved in the racket.