A 29-year-old man has been arrested for impersonating a traffic police officer and towing away high-end illegal vehicles to sell them to a scrap dealer. Police revealed that one of his associates and the buyer of the vehicles were also apprehended.
The suspect primarily targeted localities in south Delhi. Police are investigating the extent of the gang’s activities to determine the number of thefts committed.
The auto theft racket came to light after a resident of Vasant Kunj B-block reported that his Toyota Camry sedan had been towed away from his residence early on March 15 by a man dressed as a traffic policeman.
The alleged mastermind of the racket was identified as Vikas Singh of Kusumpur Pahari in south Delhi. He was assisted by 55-year-old Mahender Singh from Pitampura, who ran a scrapyard in northwest Delhi’s Kanjhawala, and 24-year-old Roshan Ahirwal from west Delhi’s Mayapuri, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Rohit Meena.
Vikas, heavily in debt, orchestrated the crime to settle his dues quickly. He mostly targeted localities in south Delhi, with police probing the gang’s total theft count. Among the recovered cars is a BMW.
When the Vasant Kunj resident reported the stolen Camry, police reviewed CCTV footage and discovered that it was towed away by a crane, with the driver wearing a traffic police uniform. The crane operator revealed that he was hired by “a police officer” to confiscate and tow away the vehicle to a scrapyard in Kanjhawala.
Police tracked down Mahender, the receiver of the car, at the Kanjhawala scrapyard. He admitted to dismantling the Camry, which was recovered in parts. He was arrested on May 17.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Roshan Ahirwal, who was found in possession of the engine and body of a Camry, body of a BMW car, a traffic police uniform, and a bike. The police are also looking into the involvement of two crane operators.
Vikas, who had borrowed money to start a gym in Vasant Kunj just before the Covid-19 pandemic, was forced to shut it down due to the global outbreak. Facing pressure from debtors, he resorted to stealing cars to sell them. He obtained details of old and expired vehicles from the RTO (mobile) application and targeted them in south Delhi. Sometimes, he would also target luxury cars parked outside houses late at night, according to the police.
