Family-run car-lifting gang in Delhi stole over 25 vehicles, busted
What's the story
The Delhi Police on Saturday said they have busted a family-run car-lifting gang in the Dwarka area.
The accused, identified as Raman (56), his son Sagar (31), and son-in-law Neeraj (29), are accused of stealing over two dozen cars in recent months from Delhi and nearby states.
The trio formed a close-knit syndicate of family members to minimize the risk of betrayal, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh.
Modus operandi
Gang stole high-end vehicles parked near gyms, parks
The gang allegedly specialized in stealing high-end vehicles, particularly Maruti Brezza, Swift Dzire, Hyundai Creta, and Toyota Fortuner models.
Most of the stolen vehicles were parked near gyms and parks in residential colonies.
They used advanced tools to disable car security systems and tampered with the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port to access a vehicle's electronic systems, allowing them to steal cars within minutes.
Arrest details
Accused arrested while driving stolen car
On May 28, the police received a tip-off and intercepted a stolen vehicle in Uttam Nagar. Raman and Sagar were inside the car.
Upon checking the engine and chassis numbers, it was found that the vehicle had been stolen from Keshav Puram.
The police recovered tools used in vehicle thefts, such as car scanners, key connectors, ECM devices, lock-breaking tools, wire cutters, pliers, duplicate keys, and number plates from their possession.
Confessions and recoveries
Stolen vehicles sold to illegal receivers in Meerut
The accused confessed to being part of a larger auto-lifting racket that included Neeraj, who was also arrested based on their disclosure.
The trio revealed they had stolen between 20 and 25 vehicles over the last 10 months.
They often used one stolen car to trail and steal another vehicle to avoid detection.
Following the trio's interrogation, the police recovered two more stolen cars.
Criminal history
Raman set up this auto-lifting enterprise
Raman, who allegedly failed to set up a legitimate family business, set up this auto-lifting enterprise with his son and son-in-law.
The stolen vehicles were sold to illegal receivers in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
All three accused are habitual offenders: Raman has been involved in 18 criminal cases, Sagar in 12, and Neeraj in 14, according to the police.