The Goregaon police have busted an illegal car dealers racket in which seven accused have been arrested who would change the number plates of the vehicles and sell them as second-hand cars. The matter came to light when cars stationed at the garage started getting traffic E-challans, which was noticed by the garage mechanic.
According to the police, the accused would take auctioned vehicles damaged in accidents and exchange their number plates and other details with stolen cars. All of the accused would work in coordination on the illegal sale of the vehicles. One of the accused, Arvindh Tiwari, who was a mechanic at the garage, would give the details of the damaged car, including its RC book, number plate, and other information to Mohammad Mansoori, who would pass the information to Hasan Jaffery, for switching the details of the vehicle.
The matter came to light when another mechanic at the same garage was checking the traffic E-challans of the cars and noticed that even though the cars were stationed at the garage, they were getting traffic challans. This led to the conclusion that the number plates had been switched, and the mechanic then registered a complaint at the police station.
"The main accused, along with other car dealers who helped them sell the stolen cars, have been arrested. We have retrieved five cars as of now, amounting to Rs 58 lakhs, "said senior police inspector, Dattatra Thopate, of Goregaon police station.
The accused have been booked under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property).
