The Delhi Police Crime Branch has cracked down on an interstate auto-lifting racket, arresting four receivers based in Punjab and recovering 21 high-end stolen vehicles, including Toyota Fortuners, Hyundai Cretas, and Mahindra Thars, all equipped with fake number plates and forged registration documents, police said on Tuesday (May 27).
According to police, the operation followed weeks of surveillance and pattern analysis. The gang specialized in stealing luxury vehicles during late-night hours, particularly around midnight, and swiftly transporting them to Punjab, focusing on border areas for easy transit.
On May 7, police acting on a tip-off intercepted a stolen blue Maruti Baleno on the DND Flyway heading toward the KMP Expressway. The vehicle bore fake license plates and had been reported stolen from South Delhi’s Saket area. The occupants, Avtar Singh (40) and Harpreet Singh (32), were arrested, and a counterfeit registration certificate was seized.
Officials confirmed the gang’s sophisticated modus operandi involved tampering with chassis and engine numbers to evade detection. The ongoing investigation aims to dismantle the entire auto theft network operating across state borders.
