New Delhi, March 12 (PTI) – Delhi Police announced the arrest of three individuals believed to be members of a sophisticated auto theft ring responsible for stealing between 90 and 100 high-end cars in a mere 10 months.
The suspects have been identified as 45-year-old Monu, 40-year-old Vishal, and the gang’s leader, 42-year-old Ravi, according to police.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka), Ankit Singh, stated that the thieves primarily targeted three specific car brands: Hyundai Creta, Maruti Brezza, and Toyota Fortuner. These vehicles were often stolen from locations outside parks and gyms.
Authorities have thus far recovered five of the stolen vehicles. The gang, according to DCP Singh, operated during the early morning hours, utilizing computers to override the vehicles’ security systems. The gang exploited modern On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) technology, which allows authorized technicians access to a car’s mainframe.
Ravi and Vishal, both trained mechanics, are alleged to have manipulated this technology using Chinese-made X-Tool scanners to generate duplicate digital keys. They were reportedly able to start the targeted vehicles in as little as five to seven minutes, the officer said.
To avoid police surveillance, the suspects reportedly avoided the use of mobile phones, relying instead on walkie-talkies, according to the police.
The arrests were made on March 6 during a police stakeout in Suraj Vihar, Kakroula. The gang members were apprehended while traveling in a stolen car with a forged number plate. Police recovered various items from the suspects, including fake number plates, walkie-talkie sets, drill machines, screwdrivers, iron rods, wire cutters, and master keys, DCP Singh reported.
Further raids in Punjab and Haryana resulted in the recovery of additional stolen vehicles as well as tools used in the thefts. The police are continuing their efforts to recover the remaining stolen cars, stated Singh.
Ravi has a lengthy criminal history involving 48 auto theft cases, while Monu has been linked to 23 prior cases, and Vishal to 14, the police said. Another gang member, Kalu, remains at large, and the police are actively searching for him.
“Ravi began his criminal activities in 2002 after partnering with an auto-lifter based in Punjab. Over time, he established his own gang consisting of relatives and close associates,” said the DCP.
