The Anti-Robbery and Snatching Cell (ARSC) of the Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an organised interstate auto-lifting and stolen-car disposal syndicate with the arrest of three accused, including alleged gang leader Amit Nagar alias Sonu.
According to the Crime Branch, Nagar has been involved in vehicle theft for around 15 years and is allegedly wanted in 38 cases. The authorities have also invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the organised syndicate.
Five stolen luxury cars have been recovered during the operation, including Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta vehicles traced to Ukhrul in Manipur, near the Myanmar border. Investigators suspect that the two vehicles recovered from Ukhrul were intended to be sold to underground groups operating in the India-Myanmar border region.
The police also recovered 104 forged High Security Registration Plates (HSRP), 24 forged Registration Certificates (RCs), duplicate vehicle keys, mobile phones and pre-activated SIM cards.
Investigators said the gang allegedly used electronic gadgets and computer-based scanning devices to bypass vehicle security systems and create duplicate keys. Amit Nagar allegedly supplied more than 100 stolen high-end vehicles to receivers operating across different states.
The Manipur-based accused, Atom Jagat Singh and P. Mukesh Singh, allegedly purchased stolen vehicles from Nagar and resold them for profit. The stolen vehicles were allegedly transported and disposed of across Manipur, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Punjab, Assam and West Bengal.
The syndicate allegedly used forged registration plates and RCs, along with encrypted messaging platforms, to conceal its activities and evade police detection.
The Crime Branch said the operation has helped work out five vehicle theft cases registered at Bhajanpura, Prashant Vihar, Paschim Vihar East, Ranjit Nagar and Ashok Vihar.
Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate, recover additional stolen vehicles and trace the wider interstate network involved in the theft and disposal of luxury cars.
