Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 28 Jul: In a major breakthrough, the Itanagar police have dismantled a sophisticated interstate vehicle theft and smuggling racket, recovering 57 high-end stolen vehicles valued at over Rs 30.5 crore.
In a press conference, Itanagar SP Jummar Basar informed that this is the largest single recovery of stolen vehicles by a police station in India till date.
Five key suspects have been arrested, with investigations ongoing to apprehend additional members and recover more vehicles.
The SP said that, acting on credible intelligence, the Itanagar police registered a suo motu FIR under various sections of the BNS and formed a special investigation team (SIT) led by SDPO Kengo Dirchi.
The SIT, comprising Inspector K Yangfo, SIs P Padam and S Samuel, Head Constable Robi, and Constables Samdeep Yadav, Digle and Wangpan, launched a crackdown on 2 July, targeting a syndicate operating across multiple states.
The recovered vehicles, including nine Toyota Fortuners, 27 Hyundai Cretas, five Kia Seltos, and others, were seized from various locations in the Itanagar Capital Region. Verification through the e-Sakshya portal confirmed that the vehicles were blacklisted, linked to theft and robbery cases in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states, the SP added.
The complete list of recovered vehicles includes:Toyota Fortuner (9),
Hyundai Creta (27), Kia Seltos (5), Maruti Brezza(2), Kia Sonet (2), Tata Safari (2),
Tata Harrier (1), Mahindra Thar (2), Mahindra Scorpio (1), Toyota Innova (1),
Audi (1), Ford Endeavour (1), Hyundai Venue (1),and Maruti Baleno (1).
SP Basar further informed that the modus operandi of the syndicate was targeting luxury and high-end vehicles in Delhi-NCR and neighbouring states. “The stolen vehicles were handed to brokers who tampered with engine and chassis numbers, forged documents, and smuggled the vehicles to Arunachal Pradesh,” he added.
“These vehicles were then sold to unsuspecting buyers at below-market prices. Preliminary investigations suggest possible international links, with digital money trails or cross-border handlers under scrutiny,” the SP informed.
Basar added that the SIT is actively pursuing leads within and outside Arunachal to apprehend the remaining syndicate members and recover additional stolen vehicles. Authorities believe that more vehicles linked to the racket are still in circulation.
The SP appealed to the citizens to verify vehicle ownership history through VAHAN or RTO records while buying, and to avoid purchasing vehicles without complete, authentic documentation. He also asked the citizens to report suspicious sellers or vehicles to the nearest police station immediately.
