The Mulund police busted a major inter-state car-stealing racket last week following the arrest of five persons from Gujarat and Rajasthan who used the stolen cars to smuggle liquor in the two alcohol prohibited states. Eight cars have been recovered from them. They have been remanded to police custody, which will lapse on Thursday. The accused were involved in several cases of car thefts in the eastern suburbs.
They have been identified as Jagdish Jejaram Bishnoi (24), Bomsingh Bhimsingh Rathore (32), Tulraj Veniraj Jat (28), Tharsingh Upansingh Rahtore (23) and Avatar Lakshmansingh Chau-han (24). While Bishnoi, Rathore and Jat were held from Godhra in Gujarat, the other two were picked up from Sanjhar in Rajasthan. The police has recovered a total of eight vehicles, including two models of Hyundai Verna, two Toyota Innovas and one each of Maruti Swift Dzire, Chevrolet Tavera and Mahindra Scorpio. After these arrests, the police has solved an equal number of car theft cases registered at Mulund, Navghar, Parksite, Talegaon (near Pune) and MHB police stations.
The three Vernas were stolen from Mulund (east), Dahisar and Kalyan, while the Tavera was stolen from Mulund (west).
One of the Innovas and the Scorpio were stolen from Vikhroli (west) and Talegaon respectively.
Explaining their modus operandi, API Dilip Dhamunse from Mulund police station said, “They surveyed areas in a stolen vehicle late in the night and after targeting a vehicle, made a duplicate of the boot keyhole. This key can be fitted anywhere in the car. After changing the number plates, they used it to smuggle liquor from Diu and Daman in alcohol prohibited Gujarat and Rajasthan.”