A police team arrested eight members of an inter-state vehicle theft gang, which has its roots spread out in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and seized 10 vehicles from different places.
The arrested persons are Rajesh, 28, Ramesh, 28, Jayarajan, 39, Shelvam, 22, Arun 20, Murukesan, 21, Joshy, 35, and Noby, 37.
Circle Inspector Regi M, who led the police team, said that Joshy and Noby, who were residing in Kerala, had been selling the stolen vehicles by changing their identifying elements including the chassis numbers.
The jeeps were usually sold to brokers in Rameshwaram, Adimali, and Munnar.
More vehicles are to be seized from different places, according to the Circle Inspector. According to Regi, the gang was involved in stealing 14 vehicles, including eight from Kerala and six from Tamil Nadu.
They sold the vehicles at varying rates starting from `1 lakh to `3 lakh.
The arrested persons were produced before the JFCM Court, Kattappana and later remanded in police custody.
Chain Snatchers on the Prowl Meanwhile, several chain snatching incidents were reported from Idukki. The burglars struck at a house in Kanjikuzhy city and stole four-sovereign gold chain.
They had entered the house through the rear door, police said. In another incident, the burglars snatched a 1.5-sovereign gold chain from a housewife in Kariyanikkal near Maniyaranakudy in Idukki.
The thieves duped the woman by posing as census inspectors. They snatched the gold chain when she turned to get drinking water for them.
Besides, failed attempts of burglary were also reported from Kuttiyanikkal, Konikkal, Vettukallel, Padiyara, Kuriamplackal and Moozhiyanikkal.