VIJAYAWADA: Machavaram police arrested a five-member gang of vehicle-lifters here on Monday and recovered eight cars from their possession.
Presenting the accused before the media during a press conference on Tuesday, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Gajarao Bhupal said the gang had committed vehicle thefts in various police station limits of the city and in Eluru town of West Godavari district.
Of the five accused, four, identified as Sanikommu Srinivas Reddy (32), Odigantu Srinu(19), Pithani Sivaraj (45) and Akula Saimani Teja (20) hail from West Godavari district, while one Pithani Sairam (32) is a native of Vijayawada. Addicted as they are to a variety of vices, the accused stole cars parked in residential areas with duplicate keys to meet their expensive lifestyle, the police said.
When the accused were found roaming suspiciously near the ESI hospital in Gunadala, the Machavaram police picked them up.
During interrogation, the accused admitted to their crimes. “The gang had stolen a total of eight cars — seven in Vijayawada and one in Eluru. We have recovered all the cars and came to know that some of them are being used for cab services,” said DCP Bhupal. Worth of the recovered vehicles was valued `20 lakh.