Arunachal police bust vehicle theft networks, recover 25 stolen cars and scooters

Police in Arunachal Pradesh have busted two separate vehicle theft networks operating across the state and neighbouring Assam, recovering 15 high-end cars and 10 stolen scooters and apprehending eight persons, including four minors, officials said.

In Kra Daadi district, police busted a high-end vehicle theft racket and arrested four alleged operatives following an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by DySP Mape Zirdo.

According to Superintendent of Police Sepraj Perme, police recovered 15 high-end vehicles allegedly stolen by the syndicate. The arrested accused were identified as Zahangir Alam, Mojhibur Rahman, Mohammad Sablu and Md Gargantuan Ali, all residents of Assam.

Police identified Alam, who was arrested from Barpeta in Assam, as the alleged kingpin of the racket.

Investigators said the gang allegedly stole luxury vehicles from the Delhi-NCR region and transported them to Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland for resale. The syndicate allegedly targeted prospective buyers and, in some cases, involved unsuspecting individuals in the transactions.

Police said the case has been solved and a chargesheet has been filed.

Meanwhile, in a separate operation, Itanagar police recovered 10 stolen scooters and apprehended four Children in Conflict with Law (CCWLs), uncovering a suspected inter-state two-wheeler theft network operating across the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) and Assam.

The investigation began after a scooter was stolen from Zoo Road in Itanagar and a case was registered at Chimpu Police Station. Following intensified naka checking and patrolling, police intercepted a minor riding a suspected stolen scooter.

During questioning, the minor allegedly disclosed his involvement in several two-wheeler thefts and provided leads about other members of the network.

Acting on the information, a team led by Chimpu Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector N Nishant recovered five stolen scooters from different locations in Gohpur, Assam.

In a separate operation, another team led by SI Taba Tate seized four TVS NTORQ scooters from Ganga village for verification of their ownership and possible links to theft cases.

Police said four CCWLs have so far been apprehended in connection with the suspected network. Preliminary investigation indicates that the juveniles allegedly stole two-wheelers from the ICR and transported them to Assam for disposal.

The ownership of the recovered scooters is being verified, while further investigation is underway to determine whether the network is linked to other unsolved vehicle theft cases.