GURGAON: From motorcycles and autos to a JCB machine, vehicle thieves in Faridabad had allegedly been targeting vehicles across categories, prompting the crime branch to launch a crackdown that led to the busting of five separate gangs and the arrest of 11 people in three weeks.The police recovered 21 stolen vehicles at the instance of the accused, including 16 motorcycles, three autos, a scooty and a JCB machine. Investigators are now examining the criminal records of the arrested accused and probing whether they were linked to other vehicle thefts and a wider network involved in disposing of stolen vehicles.Aman Yadav, ACP Crime, said the arrests were made by the AVTS-2 Bhupani team while investigating different vehicle-theft cases. The accused were picked up from different locations during the past three weeks, following which police questioned them about their involvement in other thefts.The recovery of the JCB machine has emerged as a key feature of the operation. Police said one JCB and a motorcycle were recovered from the accused linked to the Rahul-Aamir gang.Police said, they travelled by train or bus, picked spots to recce vehicles and waited for an opportunity to steal them. Once a vehicle was stolen, the accused allegedly parked it at a nearby location before handing it over to receivers for disposal.“They first come by train or bus, conduct recce and identify vehicles. When they get an opportunity, they steal the vehicles and park them somewhere nearby,” Yadav said.Three motorcycles were recovered from the accused linked to the Sahil-Dhirendar gang, while four motorcycles and an auto were recovered from the Faisal-Mufid-Rashid gang. Three motorcycles were recovered from the Faizal-Moshim alias Sahid gang. The Fajjar gang was allegedly involved in the theft of four motorcycles and a scooty, all of which were recovered by police.Police said interrogation of the accused had also revealed their previous involvement in vehicle theft and other theft cases. Their criminal records are being examined to establish their role in other cases.Investigators are also probing how the stolen vehicles were disposed of and identifying other people who may have been associated with the gangs.Yadav said most of the arrested accused had previous theft cases registered against them. “Taken together, around 20 to 30 cases are already registered against all these gangs,” he said.Police said Fazal’s group had allegedly been involved in criminal cases not only in Faridabad but also in Delhi, Noida and other districts of Haryana.Yadav said the accused were repeatedly involved in theft after being released on bail or completing their sentences. Police will place their previous criminal records before the court when filing the chargesheet, he added.In a separate action, the crime branch recovered two autos and a motorcycle from four accused while investigating other cases, police said. Police are now verifying the case details linked to the recovered vehicles and will initiate the process of handing them back to their rightful owners after completing the necessary formalities.Police said further interrogation of the arrested accused could help establish their involvement in more vehicle-theft cases and uncover other members of the alleged networks.
