HYDERABAD: A hi-tech gang involved in stealing expensive cars in Delhi and selling them in Telangana by changing engine numbers and chassis numbers in West Bengal, was arrested by Nalgonda district police on Tuesday. Twenty expensive cars all worth around Rs 6 crore were seized. The case was detected using an electronic device called OBD (On Board Diagnostic Device) through Delhi Police’s ZIPNET Online System, said Rema Rajeshwari, SP Nalgonda.
The police started a probe on a complaint by a person from Miryalaguda stating that he had purchased two cars with WB registration. He was told to pay the balance amount after the sellers procured NOC for the vehicles. However, when they refused to give NOCs, he approached the police. Inquiries revealed that chassis and engine numbers had been tampered with and that the vehicles were stolen in Delhi.
The gang paid up to Rs 10 lakh for a Toyota Fortuner, Rs 6 lakh for a Toyota Innova and Rs 4 lakh for a Hyundai Creta for tampered engine numbers. The stolen vehicles were then brought to Telangana. Fortuners sold forRs 18-20 lakh, Innovas for Rs 10-12 lakh and Creta for Rs 4-7 lakh. The gang members also issued fake NOCs to some vehicles from WB and Mancherial, and in connivance with RTA officials in Mancherial.