Criminals riding bikes sans number plate pose challenge for police in Jalandhar district

A common modus operandi of criminals is the use of stolen motorcycles without registration number plate or with fake registration number plate for committing all sorts of crimes in the region. Catching bike-borne assailants has become a challenge for the police and the people living in the rural areas of the district.

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Thirty-eight snatchers’ gangs were busted by the Jalandhar (Rural) police in the past one year (from January 2024 to January 2025). During the same period, the police arrested 136 snatchers.

In 2024, 127 cases of snatchings by bike-borne assailants were reported, out of which 113 were solved. This year (till February 10), 10 cases of snatchings by bike-borne assailants were reported to the police, out of which eight were solved.

The police claims to have solved 95 per cent of robberies and heists committed by bike-borne accused in the city and the rural areas.

The Jalandhar (Rural) police recovered 242 stolen vehicles (224 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers) in the past one year, including vehicles snatched from other cities.

Fifty vehicles — 40 two-wheelers and 10 four-wheelers — were stolen in the Jalandhar rural areas alone from January 2024 to January 2025. Besides, 2,548 vehicles were impounded by the Jalandhar (Rural) police for various traffic violations.

The common grouse is that most bike-borne masked thieves strike in the night. They aren’t caught because their bikes are either unnumbered or bear fake registration number plate.

In the rural areas of Jalandhar district, several crimes were reported in January alone this year. A highway petrol station robbery at Adampur was committed by bike-borne assailants. They had fixed a fake registration number plate on their two-wheeler.

A bike abandoned by assailants after theft of motors and grains at Kudowal village had no registration number plate on it. Three persons were caught with drugs by residents of Kudowal village riding a bike stolen from Maqsudan sabzi mandi in January end this year.

Sukhjinder Singh, sarpanch, Kudowal village, said, “The most common mode of transport used by criminals for committing crimes is a bike. Many criminals flee leaving behind stolen bikes posing a challenge for the police to catch them. During theekri pehras, we checked several motorcycles. One of these vehicle was stolen vehicle from Maqsudan.”

Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, SSP, Jalandhar (Rural) said, “Of the 224 two-wheelers recovered last year, at least 70 per cent had fake or no registration number plate. Ninety-five per cent crimes are committed on bikes. We have software and data base which help in identifying vehicles and their owners. It is common for thieves to use fake number plate on bikes. Offenders are caught as soon as the crime is reported.”

The SSP said, “Apart from catching thieves, for the last six to seven months, the Jalandhar (Rural) police have deployed 26 teams to nab traffic and other violators.”