The Delhi Police Crime Branch has successfully dismantled a car theft syndicate, arresting 13 individuals involved in stealing vehicles and selling them through online platforms such as CARS24 and CarDekho. Among the arrested suspects are former employees of these car-selling websites, according to police reports. The gang is accused of altering vehicle details to make stolen cars appear legitimate before selling them.
Additional Commissioner of Police Crime, Sanjay Bhatia, explained that the syndicate was engaged in modifying the engine and chassis numbers of stolen cars to match those of similar legitimate vehicles. These modified cars were then sold to online car-selling portals. “We have recovered 20 stolen SUVs, including models like Mahindra Thar, Toyota Innova, and MG Hector,” Bhatia stated.
The gang’s modus operandi involved stealing SUVs, then locating legitimate vehicles of the same make, model, and color. They created fake identification documents using the names of genuine vehicle owners but with their own photographs. The gang also opened bank accounts under these fake identities, prepared counterfeit registration certificates, and engraved altered engine and chassis numbers to align with real vehicles. One of the syndicate members would then approach online car-selling platforms to sell these altered vehicles. Since the registration numbers appeared authentic, the cars were listed for sale without raising suspicion, allowing over 40 stolen cars to be sold without detection.
The arrested individuals include Anwar Qureshi alias Haji Anwar alias Sahil, Mohd. Riyaz, Kishan Kumar, Shahzad Ahmad, Vikash Kumar Mishra, Shahil alias Shaeek, Mohd Altaf, Puru Singh, Jayant Kumar Jena, Kundan Giri, Noushad, Mohsin Khan, and Brajesh Kumar alias Sanjeev Kumar. Arrests were made across multiple states, including Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
Police are continuing their investigation into the syndicate, with plans to take further legal action.