‘Operation Highway 57’: Itanagar police bust Rs 30 crore luxury SUV racket

In what feels straight out of a high-stakes thriller, Itanagar Capital Police have uncovered one of the largest inter-state vehicle theft rackets in the country, recovering 57 stolen high-end vehicles worth ₹30.5 crore, mostly smuggled from North India.

Acting on a suo motu FIR (Ita PS Case No. 102/25), the police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the close supervision of SP Jummar Basar, led by SDPO Kengo Dirchi and a team of sharp officers. The crackdown began on July 2, resulting in the seizure of SUVs and luxury cars across various locations in the capital region.

The list of recovered vehicles reads like a high-end showroom inventory — 9 Toyota Fortuners, 27 Hyundai Cretas, 5 Kia Seltos, 2 Mahindra Thars, an Audi, a Ford Endeavour, among others — all traced back to thefts in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and nearby states.

SP Jummar Basar, addressing a press conference, stated, “This is the single-largest recovery from any police station in India to date. The investigation is still ongoing, and more vehicles are expected to be recovered soon.”

The gang operated like a well-oiled criminal enterprise. Targeting luxury vehicles in metro cities, they used brokers to forge documents and tamper with chassis and engine numbers. The stolen cars were then smuggled into Arunachal Pradesh and sold to unsuspecting buyers at heavily discounted prices.

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Authorities also suspect international links, with possible cross-border financial transactions and digital money trails being investigated. This opens the possibility of the racket having handlers or buyers beyond India’s borders.

In light of the recovery, police have issued a public advisory urging citizens to:

Always verify vehicle ownership through VAHAN or local RTOs

Avoid purchasing vehicles without authentic documentation

Report suspicious sellers or activities to the nearest police station

While five key accused have been arrested, several others are on the run. Teams are actively working across states to apprehend the remaining members and seize more vehicles linked to the network.

With over ₹30 crore worth of stolen luxury vehicles already in custody, “Operation Highway 57” stands as a cinematic but real-life reminder of the scale and reach of organised vehicle smuggling in India — and the determination of Arunachal’s law enforcement to dismantle it.