Delhi Police busts gang which stole nearly 100 luxury cars in 10 months

Three members of a gang that stole 90 to 100 high-end cars in just 10 months were arrested from the national capital, Delhi Police said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Monu, 45, Vishal, 40, and the leader of the gang, a 42-year-old Ravi, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said the thieves would steal three specific car brands – Hyundai Creta, Maruti Brezza, and Toyota Fortuner – usually from outside parks and gyms.

Police have so far recovered five of the stolen cars, he said.

The officer said the gang operated in the early morning and used computers to override the vehicles' security systems.

The gang exploited modern On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) technology, which allows authorised technicians to access a car's mainframe, the DCP said.

Being trained mechanics, Ravi and Vishal would manipulate the technology using Chinese-made X-Tool scanners to generate duplicate digital keys and would start cars in under five to seven minutes, he said.

The officer said the thieves did not use mobile phones and relied on walkie-talkies. "This method helped them stay ahead of police surveillance while executing their crimes."

On March 6, police nabbed the three during a stakeout in Suraj Vihar, Kakroula, where the gang members were tipped off to be coming in a stolen car with a fake number plate.

From their possession, police recovered multiple fake number plates, walkie-talkie sets, drill machines, screwdrivers, iron rods, wire cutters and master keys, he said.

More raids in Ludhiana and Rajpura in Punjab and Sirsa in Haryana led to the recovery of a few more stolen vehicles and tools used in the crimes.

Efforts are still on to recover the remaining stolen cars, Singh said.

Ravi has a history of 48 involvements in auto theft cases, while Monu has 23 prior cases, and Vishal has been linked to 14 criminal cases. Another gang member, Kalu, remains at large and is being actively pursued by the police, he added.

"Raju started his criminal activities in 2002 after partnering with a Punjab-based auto-lifter. Over time, he formed his own gang consisting of relatives and close associates," said the DCP.

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