3 gang members land in police dragnet for theft of hi-tech cars

Three members of a gang that stole 90 to 100 high-end cars in just 10 months were arrested from the national capital, the Delhi Police said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Monu (45), Vishal (40) and gang leader Ravi (42), they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said the suspects used to steal car usually from outside parks and gyms. The police have so far recovered five of the stolen cars.

The officer said the gang operated in the early morning and used computers to override the vehicles’ security systems.

The gang exploited modern On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) technology, which allows authorised technicians to access a car’s mainframe, the DCP said.

Being trained mechanics, Ravi and Vishal would manipulate the technology using X-Tool scanners to generate duplicate digital keys and would start cars in under five to seven minutes, he said.

The officer said the thieves did not use mobile phones and relied on walkie-talkies. This method helped them stay ahead of police surveillance while executing their crimes.

The police got a tip-off about the presence of gang members in a stolen car with a fake number plate. After getting information, the police arrested them on March 6.

During checking, the police recovered fake number plates, walkie-talkie sets, drill machines, screwdrivers, iron rods, wire cutters and master keys, he said.

Efforts are still on to recover the remaining stolen cars, Singh said.

Ravi has a history of 48 involvements in auto theft cases, while Monu has 23 prior cases, and Vishal has been linked to 14 criminal cases. Another gang member, Kalu, remains at large and is being actively pursued by the police, he added.