New Delhi: Driving autorickshaws by day and using stolen high-powered sports motorcycles to carry out violent armed robberies by night was the modus operandi of the three men arrested in the national capital, the police said on Wednesday. Sharik (28), Shabir Faheem (32) and Saurav were apprehended after raids following two consecutive PCR calls about armed robberies in the Jagatpuri and Geeta Colony areas on May 31. The trio, along with an absconding accomplice named Shahzad, targeted commuters at gunpoint during the night, using stolen sports bikes to evade identification. CCTV footage from multiple crime locations revealed the use of power motorcycles in the robberies. While one motorcycle’s registration was genuine, the other bike bore a fake number plate. The ownership trail of the bike led to a robbery case registered earlier in Lajpat Nagar, confirming that it was also stolen,” the police said.
The police laid a trap for them after identifying their movement pattern and nabbed the trio from their suspected hideouts early in the morning. During interrogation, it was revealed that the three men worked as rented auto drivers operating from Seelampur to Old Delhi. “Their modus operandi involved parking stolen sports bikes in Daryaganj, hiring autos to reach the location after dark, and then committing robberies across the city. After executing the crimes, they would return to Daryaganj, abandon the stolen vehicles, and take autos back home to avoid detection by CCTV cameras,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said. He further said that a country-made pistol with a live cartridge, a fake lighter-shaped pistol, a robbed sports bike, a stolen sports bike with a fake number plate, two robbed mobile phones (including an iPhone), Rs 6,000 in cash, a knife and vehicle lock-opening tools were recovered from the trio.
“With their arrest, five armed robbery cases of Jagatpuri, Geeta Colony, Preet Vihar, Lajpat Nagar and Krishna Nagar were worked out, attributing them to the trio. All three accused are repeat offenders. Sharik has over 45 previous cases of robbery and snatching, Shabir Faheem and Saurav are involved in at least 12 cases each,” the DCP said, adding that Sharik is the mastermind. They honed their criminal skills while serving jail terms and are well-versed in police tracking methods. Further investigation is underway, and more recoveries and arrests are expected, he added.