Delhi: Gang of auto thieves involved in stealing of high end vehicles busted

New Delhi [India], September 23 (ANI): Delhi police have busted a gang of auto lifters which was involved in stealing of high end vehicles in the national capital, it said Monday.
Police said that one of the accused Istiyak has previously been involved in more than 95 cases of Auto-Lifting, Theft, Arms Act, Attempt to Murder and 01 MCOCA Case. Police said that a special project team, comprising staff from various police stations in the West District, was formed to specialize in tracing auto-lifters and stolen vehicles. The team was briefed daily and assigned to scrutinize CCTV footage of recent auto-lifting incidents to identify and apprehend culprits using Smart Monitoring Tools.
On September 17, the AATS team specialized for tracing auto lifter with help of CCTV footage laid a strategically trap on the basis of numerous CCTV footage of auto lifting. A person was spotted coming on a white color Toyota Fortuner car seen coming from Nisariya Mazid, Seemapuri side. After that staff with the help of private car tried to stop the Fortuner car, but car driver instantly made out and tried to flee from the spot. After chase of almost 2 KM, the car stalled and the Police apprehended the car driver who was identified as Istiyak.
After verification the number plate installed on Fortuner car was found to be fake and original number of Fortuner car was obtained, the said Fortuner car was found stolen from PS Naraina. On cursory search of recovered Fortuner car various tools for breaking of car lock which include a wire cutter, screw driver, nippers, three dummy keys of Toyota Car and a broken lock of Mahindra Car were recovered. Later, one mobile phone used by accused for calling his other associates through an internet based application was also recovered from his possession. Seizure has been prepared accordingly.
Further on the confession of the accused Istiyak, 5 more luxury car were recovered at different hide outs of accused used for parking stolen vehicle. The recovered cars were found stolen from PS Tilak Nagar, Vikaspuri, Punjabi Bagh, Saket and PS Teelamod, District Ghaziabad, U.P.
Accused has been arrested under appropriate section of law.
Police said that accused Istiyak has previous involvement in more than 95 criminal cases which includes almost 80 criminal cases related to auto lifting and other 15 cases includes Arms act, forgery and other heinous crime related to attempt to murder etc. Accused also has one case of MOCOCA Act.
On interrogation accused Istiyak disclosed that he used to commit crime of Auto Lifting. He along with his associates Wasim and Sikander. Accused disclosed that he went to jail for the first time in 2003 on the charge of stealing a car's music system. After this, while in jail, he met two men named Wasim and Sikander who steal cars, change their number plates and sell them in different cities. After getting released from jail, accused along with Wasim and Sikander started stealing expensive cars from different places in Delhi and taking them back to Meerut and Ghaziabad, changing their number plates, they would sell them at good prices with the help of Wasim and Sikander.
The Police said that the accused also keep different kinds of tools with him to steal vehicles, with the help of which he makes duplicate keys of the locks of the vehicles, start them and steal them. Raids are being conducted to apprehend the co-accused persons. (ANI)