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Mumbai: In a major crackdown, the Kurar Police in Malad East have busted a well-coordinated auto-rickshaw theft racket, arresting two repeat offenders who had been operating a clever scheme to dodge the cops. The accused, identified as Mohammad Muslim Tahir Ansari (40) and Nisar Idu Ahmed (53), were arrested after a special police team tracked them down based on CCTV footage and tip-offs from local informants.
The racket had been causing concern among residents and rickshaw drivers in Malad East for several months, following a rise in thefts of autorickshaws. Acting swiftly on multiple complaints, Kurar Police formed a dedicated team to investigate the matter. Their efforts paid off when the two suspects were arrested in a well-planned trap laid in Malad East.
Details On Unique Modus Operandi
During questioning, the accused revealed a methodical modus operandi. After stealing rickshaws, they would attach number plates from scrapped autos, making the vehicles untraceable through standard police databases or traffic surveillance systems. Since the license plates belonged to decommissioned vehicles, stolen rickshaws would go unnoticed on city cameras.
7 Rickshaws Recovered
The police have recovered seven stolen rickshaws from the duo’s possession. Cops found that the accused used these vehicles for commercial purposes, often renting them out on a daily basis while posing as the legal owners. Each rickshaw reportedly fetched them Rs 200 to Rs 300 per day, providing a steady source of illegal income.
Authorities are now exploring whether the accused also sold some of the stolen rickshaws as scrap to avoid detection. Police believe that additional individuals may be part of the network and are expanding the probe to identify further suspects involved in the racket.
