Over 2,600 vehicles stolen in Ggn this year

GURUGRAM: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal may have been fortunate to have found his missing WagonR car at Ghaziabad in just two days, but not everyone in Delhi-NCR is lucky enough.

With over 2,600 vehicles stolen this year till September – including three and four

wheelers – in Gurugram, residents of the Millennium City continue to be grapple with auto theft.

In 2016, more than 3,500 cases of vehicle thefts were registered in Gurugram. In 2015, the number was over 3,000.

Significantly, 60 per cent of automobiles stolen this year are yet to be recovered. One of the major reasons for such a low rate of recovery is that these crimes are committed by gangs from Mewat and outside states like Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

"Most burglars who have been caught by our team belong to Mewat. However, there have also been gangs from Rajasthan and Delhi who indulge in vehicle thefts. Unlike earlier cases, where vehicle thefts used to be carried out by two or three skilled robbers, now there are groups of five to ten robbers who commit the crime," said a senior official of Gurugram police

"As there are large numbers of robbers from outside areas, it has become a challenge for the police to nab them," the official, who wished to be anonymous, added.

These burglars target victims not only in the outskirts of the city, but also in posh and densely populated parts of Gurugram.

In July, law enforcement officials arrested members of the Satish gang, who claimed to have stolen over 100 vehicles, mostly SUV's, from Gurugram.

According to police officials, a lot of planning goes into stealing of an automobile.

Based on the planning and information, most robbers choose a place, time and sometimes even victim to carry out the crime.

Many of these brazen thefts also involve intimidating the victims with guns or sharp objects. The robbers then evaluate the value of the vehicle and its parts and sell them.

In some cases, the profits are as low as Rs 5,000 to 10,000 on the spare parts.