NEW DELHI, Jan 21 : An international gang involved in the theft, supply and resale of high-end luxury cars has been dismantled with the arrest of a key receiver from Manipur who allegedly procured stolen vehicles from Delhi-NCR and arranged fake registrations for resale at hefty profits, police said on Wednesday.
The National Capital Region (NCR) remains a hotspot for vehicle theft, accounting for over 56 per cent of such cases reported across the country, they said.
In Delhi alone, a vehicle is stolen approximately every 14 minutes, with vehicle theft forming nearly 20 per cent of the total crimes reported in the city.
The accused, Juma Khan (39), a resident of Thoubal district in Manipur, was apprehended following a coordinated operation involving the local police.
He is a prominent receiver of stolen vehicles linked to an organised syndicate allegedly operated by Sarik alias Sata and his nephew Aamir Pasha, who are suspected to be running the racket from Dubai, they said.
“Juma Khan is wanted in multiple auto theft cases in Delhi and has also been declared a proclaimed offender in several matters,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.
His arrest, the police said, has helped crack the entire chain of auto-lifters, suppliers and receivers operating across multiple states and regions.
The breakthrough came on June 6, 2024, when the police arrested Raj Babu alias Akib (27) near the Sarai Kale Khan bus terminal and recovered a stolen SUV car. During interrogation, he disclosed his association with Sarik alias Sata and Aamir, revealing that he had been supplying stolen vehicles to them since 2021.
The police said the chassis number of the recovered car had been tampered with, indicating organised crime. Further investigation revealed the involvement of several other gang members, prompting the police to invoke stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
In this case, 10 stolen vehicles were recovered and a chargesheet was filed against 10 accused.
In another related case, the arrest of Taj Mohammad alias Taju in August 2024 led to the recovery of 15 high-end vehicles stolen from Delhi and traced to locations in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, along with fake registration certificates, number plates and duplicate keys.
A chargesheet has been filed against nine accused in that case.
The police said Juma Khan played a crucial role in the syndicate by receiving stolen vehicles and arranging fake registrations at RTOs in the Northeast, before reselling them locally and in cross-border areas.
During interrogation, he claimed to have received over 1,000 stolen vehicles from auto-lifters operating in Delhi, Meerut, Sambhal and Moradabad over the years. The accused had first come into contact with gang members while lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a motorcycle theft case.
Further investigation is underway to trace remaining associates and overseas handlers of the syndicate. (PTI )
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