Police bust vehicle theft syndicate linked to Dubai-based kingpin
The Delhi Police have busted a vehicle theft syndicate operating across the country with the arrest of seven people, an official said on Thursday.
“The syndicate, allegedly masterminded by Dubai-based Khawaja Shaik Husain, alias Sarik alias Sata, specialised in stealing and trafficking high-end vehicles across the country,” the Delhi Police said in a statement.
“The crackdown led to the arrest of seven people and the recovery of luxury cars, fake number plates and key programming tools used in vehicle theft,” the statement read.
The syndicate was unravelled following a planned operation spanning several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and West Bengal.
The Crime Branch conducted raids in Meerut, Bhogaon, Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh), Kalaburagi, Bengaluru (Karnataka), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Punjab and Kolkata (West Bengal), leading to the capture of key syndicate members, read the statement.
The accused identified as Raj Babu alias Akib, Md Rais alias Mulla, Sagir Ahmad were apprehended from UP, Sumit Jalan Shailender Shaw alias Raj Shaw, Arka Bhattacharya from West Bengal and Ravi Kuldeep from Rajasthan.
“These people played critical roles in the syndicate, including vehicle theft, supply chain logistics and black-market sales of stolen cars,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Apoorva Gupta in the statement said.
She said the syndicate employed sophisticated methods to steal and dispose of vehicles. Gang members used computer-based scanning devices and key programming tools to bypass security systems, reprogram engine control modules (ECM), and create new keys for stolen vehicles. The gang had sub-groups specialising in stealing SUVs and luxury cars, the DCP said.
