The Vidyaranyapura police in Bengaluru have arrested two engineering dropouts and recovered 25 stolen bikes, six mobile phones, and two laptops, collectively worth Rs26 lakh. The accused, identified as Raghavendra (25) from Koppal and Saitej (24) from Gangavathy, were allegedly involved in a bike theft syndicate that operated across Bengaluru.
According to the police, Raghavendra and Saitej would steal bikes and then tamper with the chassis and engine numbers to alter their identification. They would create fake documents for the stolen vehicles and list them for sale on e-commerce platforms, where unsuspecting buyers were lured into purchasing them.
The stolen bikes, along with the recovered mobile phones and laptops, were seized during the investigation, and the police have confirmed that they are working on tracking down the buyers who purchased the stolen items through the online platform.
The duo was arrested following a series of complaints filed by victims who had reported their bikes as stolen. After questioning the suspects, police were able to uncover the full extent of their operation. Further investigations are underway to determine if the two were part of a larger gang involved in similar crimes in other parts of the city.
Raghavendra and Saitej have been charged with theft, tampering with vehicle identification numbers, and fraud, among other offenses. They are currently in police custody, and authorities are working to trace additional stolen property linked to their operation.