In a major development in the Rs30.5 crore luxury vehicle smuggling racket, the Capital Police on Friday arrested Yajum Lombi, a District Transport Officer (DTO) posted at Yupia, Papum Pare district, for her alleged involvement in facilitating fake registrations of stolen vehicles.
Lombi was detained from her residence in Itanagar, weeks after police busted what is now being described as the largest-ever single-station recovery of stolen vehicles in India. Police allege that she approved forged documents that enabled the illegal registration of stolen high-end cars in Arunachal Pradesh.
Her arrest follows the earlier detention of a data entry operator from Palin in Kra Dadi district, who is currently in judicial custody for aiding the racket.
The racket came to light in July after a suo motu FIR led to a large-scale investigation. Authorities uncovered 73 stolen luxury vehicles, sourced primarily from Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, which were registered in Arunachal Pradesh using tampered chassis and engine numbers and fake documents.
27 Hyundai Cretas
9 Toyota Fortuners
5 Kia Seltos
Several high-end SUVs from Audi, Ford, Mahindra, and Maruti
All vehicles were blacklisted and linked to FIRs in multiple states, indicating a well-organized inter-state syndicate.
Investigators revealed that brokers modified the vehicles’ details and created fake registration papers, which were then approved by corrupt officials in transport offices. These vehicles were sold to unsuspecting buyers at discounted rates.
The involvement of DTO Yajum Lombi, a senior government official, has shocked the public, with civil society groups demanding transparency and strict punishment for those involved.
Police are now exploring international money trails and digital transactions, suggesting the racket may have cross-border financial links.
“This is not just a vehicle theft case. It involves an organized network with interstate and possibly cross-border financial links,” a senior police officer said. “More arrests cannot be ruled out.”
The arrest of DTO Lombi is seen as a critical breakthrough, but investigators believe that many more links in the chain are yet to be exposed.
