Delhi: Gang stealing SUVs busted; vehicles worth over Rs 1 cr recovered

Two men were arrested for allegedly stealing SUVs in Delhi and selling them across multiple states, the police said on Saturday, adding that vehicles worth over Rs 1 crore were recovered. The accused were identified as Ashraf Sultan, a habitual offender, and Irshad alias Baba, who operated a garage that doubled as a hub for dismantling and modifying stolen cars, the police said. ''The gang operated using master keys to gain access to vehicles, and then affixed fake registration plates to avoid detection. They targeted luxury vehicles due to their high resale value in under-regulated second-hand markets,'' Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania said. The police also recovered a pistol, multiple master keys, fake number plates, and five stolen SUVs in a series of raids across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, he noted. ''Based on specific intelligence about Ashraf Sultan, who had recently resumed vehicle thefts after being released from jail, he was apprehended during a raid near Nala Road in Ghazipur. He was found carrying a loaded pistol and failed to produce ownership documents for the car he was driving,'' the DCP added. The police later verified the engine and chassis number of the vehicle and found that it had been reported stolen. A fresh case under the Arms Act was registered at the Ghazipur Police Station. During interrogation, Ashraf revealed that he was part of an organised syndicate that stole vehicles in Delhi and transported them to Meerut and other regions in the country. The stolen vehicles were given fake number plates and sold in states such as Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Kolkata, the DCP explained. Ashraf also mentioned Irshad, who operated a garage in Bilaspur, which was used for storing and modifying stolen vehicles. Based on his disclosures, a police team raided the garage and recovered an SUV and a dismantled car engine, both of which were later confirmed to have been stolen from Hauz Khas and Vivek Vihar in Delhi. Further raids were conducted near Noor Nagar Colony in Murad Nagar, Ghaziabad, where two more stolen SUVs were recovered. These vehicles were linked to motor vehicle theft cases from Pandav Nagar and Mandawali, according to the police. Ashraf has a history of arrests, with 16 previous criminal cases, including those under the Arms Act and multiple vehicle thefts. Irshad has been linked to at least two past cases involving receiving stolen property and destroying evidence, the police said. Police believe the gang is part of a larger network of accomplices, and efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining suspects, identified as Sakir alias Gaddu, Ujair, and Rashid alias Kala.

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