Sleuths of the City Crime Branch arrested two members of an inter-state gang engaged in series of vehicle theft cases in Goa and seized 37 cars and jeeps worth over Rs. 2.3 crore from them.
The breakthrough came when Naveed Najifali Qatib (39), resident of Raviwarpeth, Kalmath Road in Belagavi city, and Parashuram Mantappa Kumbar (28), native of P.N. Gonal in Muddebihal taluk of Vijayapura district but presently residing in Goa, were suspiciously moving in a multi-utility vehicle at Azam Nagar locality coming under A.P.M.C. Police Station limits in the early hours of Sunday morning. CCB Police Inspector B.R. Gaddekar, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the duo at around 3.40 a.m., said T.G. Krishna Bhat, Police Commissioner, here on Monday.
During interrogation, the duo confessed to have stolen the car from Goa, apart from nearly 40 cars and jeeps in Goa by theft and cheating. After bringing the vehicles to Belagavi, they would lease these vehicles by collecting Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh to avoid suspicion of theft.
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Following their confession, the CCB sleuths launched a massive recovery operation and seized 37 cars and jeeps worth Rs.2.30 crore.
The police have registered cases under Section 41(1)(D) and 102 of CrPC and Section 379 of IPC against the accused and produced them before the court later on Monday.