Gang busted: 9 luxury cars worth Rs 2 crore stolen in Delhi, sold in Bengaluru

• Bengaluru police bust gang selling stolen luxury cars from Delhi in southern cities
• Nine luxury cars and a two-wheeler worth Rs 2.31 crore were recovered
• Suspects used forged documents and internet calls to evade detection

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Bengaluru police have dismantled an interstate criminal network involved in stealing high-end vehicles in Delhi and fraudulently selling them in southern Indian cities, recovering nine luxury cars and a two-wheeler collectively valued at approximately Rs 2.31 crore.

The breakthrough followed a complaint filed on January 4 by a resident of KG Halli regarding a stolen two-wheeler, according to a police account cited by The Indian Express. An investigation, aided by CCTV footage, led to the arrest of a 37-year-old car dealer, Syed Nizam, from Pulakeshi Nagar the very next day.

During interrogation, Nizam reportedly revealed his involvement in selling stolen cars with the assistance of a Delhi-based associate. Deeming the case part of a larger racket, police secured a 19-day custody for Nizam. The probe subsequently led to the arrest of a second accused, 26-year-old Mohammed Muzaffar from Delhi, in Hyderabad on January 14.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, announcing the arrests, outlined the gang’s sophisticated modus operandi. The suspects allegedly believed that transporting vehicles stolen from North India to the South would reduce the risk of detection. They exclusively communicated via internet calls, avoiding conventional telephone networks to evade surveillance.

After stealing vehicles, each valued at over Rs 30 lakh, the gang would transport them to Bengaluru. There, they would forge registration documents and licence plates. However, police noted that the chassis and engine numbers, which remained unchanged, proved crucial in tracing the stolen vehicles.

Commissioner Singh stated that the stolen cars were sold in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The police have identified nine corresponding theft cases registered in Delhi and are coordinating with their counterparts in the national capital. Singh described the operation as a "bigger racket," indicating that investigations are ongoing.

A police officer involved in the case was cited by The Indian Express as saying that the recovered vehicles, stolen from Delhi, were found parked in vacant plots within residential layouts in Bengaluru — locations chosen on the assumption they would attract less suspicion.