New Delhi: The Anti-Auto Theft Squad of the Delhi Police has busted a notorious interstate gang of auto lifters on Sunday.
The police received the information about the gang through a complaint registered in August at Vivek Vihar Police Station. This criminal syndicate was responsible for a spate of luxury car thefts spanning across several states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
The arrested accused were identified as Musahid (33), son of Aliyash resident of Samalkha, Panipat, Haryana, Satish Kumar (36), son of Ram Naresh, resident of Vijay Vihar, Delhi, Arif (29) son of Dilshad resident of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Razzak Mainuddin Shaikh (34), son of Mainuddin Suleman Shaikh, resident of Akurdi, Pune, Maharashtra, and Adil (34), son of Yusuf resident of Hahunja, Pune, Maharashtra.
According to the police, the investigation began when a Hyundai Creta car was reported stolen in the Vivek Vihar area, prompting the registration of a case. A multi-pronged approach involving the analysis of over 150 CCTV footage, information from confidential informers, and meticulous scrutiny of evidence from various locations was adopted.
After a month of relentless efforts, the team successfully identified the culprits. Their breakthrough came on October 15 when they arrested Musahid, who disclosed his involvement in a series of high-end car thefts.
Subsequent interrogations and coordinated efforts led to the arrest of Arif and Satish, and the recovery of three luxury stolen cars.
One of the arrested suspects, Arif, revealed that a stolen Creta car had been sold in Gujarat, prompting the team to extend its operation to recover additional stolen vehicles.
This effort resulted in the arrest of two more individuals, Razzak Mainuddin Shaikh and Mohd Adil, in Gujarat and the recovery of two stolen Hyundai Creta cars. During the investigation, it was discovered that the gang had stolen more than 150 luxury cars from Delhi-NCR and distributed them to receivers in various locations.
The impressive list of recoveries includes five stolen luxury cars, one scooty, electronic devices for generating electronic keys, fake number plates, duplicate smart keys, and window panes. Moreover, the AATS team successfully solved six criminal cases linked to the gang’s activities.
The arrested suspects have a history of criminal involvement, as demonstrated by their extensive records of prior offences.
Musahid, Satish, Arif, Razzak Mainuddin Shaikh, and Mohd Adil have all been involved in car thefts, and their capture marks a significant blow to organized auto theft operations in the region. As the investigation continues, the AATS of Delhi Police has not only recovered stolen vehicles but has also disrupted a major criminal network responsible for luxury car thefts in multiple states.