The Central Crime Branch unit affiliated with the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police has announced the apprehension of six individuals associated with an interstate gang. They are allegedly involved in the theft and sale of high-end cars to unsuspecting buyers nationwide. The police team seized eight cars, including three Innova Crysta, one Hyundai Creta, and four Toyota Fortuners, with a combined value exceeding Rs. 2.42 crore. These vehicles were reported stolen from various locations in New Delhi.
Mumbai-based hotelier lodged a complaint
The arrest followed a complaint lodged on December 6 by a Mumbai-based hotelier, who claimed to have been deceived by an agent selling a stolen car with fake documents. The Central Crime Branch, led by Senior Police Inspector Rahul Raakh, initiated investigations by verifying the chassis and engine numbers through the Nakabandi mobile application and Google tracking system. They obtained the Electronic Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), revealing the original owner's contact details. Upon contacting the owner, it was confirmed that the car had been stolen from New Delhi.
Subsequent investigations unveiled a larger operation, with eight cars stolen from different parts of New Delhi and sold in a similar manner. Raakh informed his superiors, including Commissioner Madhukar Pandey, about the developments and promptly formed special teams to dismantle the entire racket. The six apprehended individuals, primarily used car dealers, were identified as Milanrajsingh Sureshkumar Chauhan (alias Bapu), Tarif Hussain Iqbal Khan, Irshad Akbarbhai Ajmeri, Wasim Altaf Pathan, Shahid Ayub Khan, and Allahbaksh Shaukatali Ansari, who specializes in making number plates and resides in Dharavi, Mumbai.
In addition to recovering the stolen cars, the police confiscated duplicate keys, forged registration certificate (RC) books, and mobile phones from the suspects. The accused are facing charges under sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 471 (using a forged document as genuine), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. They have been remanded to custody. Further investigations are ongoing, with the possibility of more arrests, including those involved in the actual theft of the cars.
Modus Operandi
The gang reportedly utilised software-based hacking devices to gain access to on-board diagnostic systems, enabling them to generate electronic keys for stealing high-end vehicles. Subsequently, the cars were handed over to dealers who altered engine and chassis numbers before selling them in different states using forged documents.
