Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 3
With the arrest of two persons, the crime branch of the Chandigarh Police claims to have busted a gang of vehicle thieves and has recovered 13 two-wheelers from them.
According to the police, they had information that two persons, Manoj Kumar (32), a resident of Muradabad district in UP, and Mukesh Kumar (25), a resident of Sambha distrcit in UP, were involved in vehicle thefts.
DSP (Crime) Jagbir Singh said a trap was laid near the Sector 15 booth market on July 27 and the duo was arrested along with a motorcycle, which was stolen from Mani Majra in April.
Police officials said during interrogation, the suspects disclosed that they used to steal vehicles from the tricity and sell these to a scrap dealer, Mohammad Arif, who was based at Bahjoi in Sambhal district of UP. “A team of the crime branch went to Sambhal. However, the suspect was absconding,” said a police official.
During the course of the investigation, 13 two-wheelers were recovered on the disclosure of the suspects, which led to the solving of 10 cases of vehicle theft registered at different police stations in the city. “We are investigating from where the remaining three motorcycles were stolen,” said the police official. The police claimed that the suspects had also stolen three cars from the city. A team had been sent to recover the stolen cars and arrest the buyer.
Modus operandi
The suspects used to steal two-wheelers and use these for stealing cars at night. While the cars were taken to Bahjoi in UP and sold to a scrap dealer, the two-wheelers were parked in crowded parkings in Chandigarh. The two-wheelers were later taken to UP and sold there.
Proclaimed offender
One of the suspects, Manoj Kumar, is a proclaimed offender against whom around 35 cases are registered in Haryana and UP.