PUDUCHERRY: An inter-state gang of car thieves was busted by Puducherry police with the arrest of Murugan alias Masilamani (43) from Thattanchavady today.
The accused have confessed to having received 30 stolen cars, SUVs, mostly Chevrolet and Tavera from Akola district of Maharashtra, which he disposed in Chennai, Senior Superintendent of Police (Law and Order ) Rajiv Ranjan said.
Based on an information received from Maharashtra police, a police team of Inspector Karthigeyan, of Special Task Force under Superintendent of Police (North0 Rachna Singh investigated and traced Murugan, who is a part of the auto thief gang that operates in Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry., said the SSP.
Interrogation revealed that the gang steals cars from Maharashtra and sends them to their associates in different places including the accused in Puducherry. Murugan then after buying for very nominal rates has been disposing of them in Pudhupet, Chennai, which is a hub of scrap-dealing. The agents of Murugan take out the parts and sell them in the scrap market. Some cars which are in very good condition are sold after altering the engine and chassis number with that of cars that have been damaged in accidents and using the RC book with the registration numbers of the cars damaged in accidents. The molten metal Ranga is punched into the engine and chassis with the new numbers. Such cars are sold as genuine cars with genuine documents to unsuspecting buyers of reconditioned cars.
It is further investigated whether any moles are there in the Transport department to assist and facilitate the sale and purchase of such cars.
A team of Maharashtra police led by Assistant Inspector Rameshwar Chavan has come to Puducherry for securing the accused in connection with the theft of cars. SSP said that a case under 41(i)(d) of Cr PC has been registered and after production in court will be handed over to the Maharashtra police on transit remand, said the SSP for further investigations in the case.