Multi-State Gang, Stealing High-End SUVs, Busted In Delhi

Delhi Police have arrested six members of a multi-state gang which was allegedly involved in stealing high-end cars like Fortuner SUV in the national capital at gun point and selling them for as low as Rs 3 lakh in Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat, officials said on Tuesday.

The gang was busted when police officials were investigating an incident of carjacking in Dwarka earlier this month. Officials said Vikram (40) led the gang and Arjun (26), Rohit (29) and Vicky (30) were his associates.

Two others arrested in the case ? Ashraf (68) and Ramesh (36) ? supplied arms and ammunition to the gang. These two would also take the delivery of stolen cars and sold them either in Jammu and Kashmir or delivered the vehicles to another associate named Illiyas in Gujarat, officials added.

Police have recovered four pistols, eight live cartridges and a Hyundai i20 from them.

While investigating the carjacking incident in Dwarka, police noticed the gang was using the i20 car in the commission of the crime, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsha Vardhan.

Police then mobilised their informers and laid a trap near a university in Dwarka. Vikram and his associates were arrested from there, Vardhan said.

Vikram was then taken to Jammu and Kashmir to trace their weapon suppliers and those who took the delivery of the stolen vehicles.

The police team used a Fortuner SUV to lay a trap and was able to nab Ashraf and Ramesh from Jammu, the DCP said adding two pistols, four live cartridges and a stolen Fortuner car were recovered from them.

Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, Vardhan said the members would snatch the mobile phone of car owners or drivers at gun-point and then pushed them out of the vehicle.

"After that Vikram would drive the car all the way to Jammu the same night and hand it over to Ashraf and Ramesh, who would further sold the cars to a person named Illiyas in Ahmedabad, Gujarat," the DCP said.

During interrogation, Vikram told police his cousin Arun, who is in Bhondsi Jail in Gurugram, lured him into carjacking, they said.

With the arrests, police claimed to have solved five cases of robbery and arms act in Delhi.