Interstate Vehicle Theft Gang Busted In Delhi; Eight Stolen Two-Wheelers And Fake Number Plates Recovered

New Delhi: The South-West District Police have arrested two alleged members of an interstate vehicle theft gang accused of stealing two-wheelers across Delhi-NCR and selling them in Haryana after fitting them with fake number plates. The Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) recovered eight stolen two-wheelers, including five motorcycles and three scooters, along with six pairs of fake number plates, an LN key and tools allegedly used in vehicle thefts.

The accused have been identified as Rahul alias Bachchi, 26, a resident of Bhiwani, Haryana, and Sunny Rathi, 30, a resident of Bahadurgarh. Police claim that the arrests have helped solve nine vehicle theft cases registered at different police stations in Delhi.

How Did Police Track Down the Suspects?

South-West District Deputy Commissioner of Police Amit Goyal said the AATS team had been investigating vehicle theft incidents by examining CCTV footage, inspecting crime scenes and gathering technical evidence and local intelligence.

During the investigation, police received specific information about two suspects travelling on a motorcycle. A team intercepted them on the service road near Palam Flyover.

Upon inspection, the motorcycle's number plate was found to be fake. Further verification revealed that the vehicle had been stolen in a case registered at Moti Nagar Police Station under e-FIR No. 014389/26.

Following the discovery, an FIR numbered 576/2026 was registered at Palam Village Police Station, and further investigation was initiated.

Where Were the Stolen Vehicles Being Sold?

According to police, questioning allegedly revealed that the accused used stolen two-wheelers fitted with fake number plates to facilitate further thefts and evade detection.

The suspects allegedly stole vehicles from different parts of Delhi-NCR and sold them in Bahadurgarh and Mewat in Haryana.

Based on their disclosures and subsequent investigation, police recovered seven additional stolen two-wheelers from Bahadurgarh. These included four motorcycles and three scooters. Along with the motorcycle intercepted near Palam Flyover, the total recovery reached eight stolen vehicles.

Police said the recovery and investigation had helped solve nine vehicle theft cases registered across several Delhi police stations. Further investigation is underway to establish the accused's possible involvement in other incidents.

What Is Known About the Accused's Criminal Records?

According to police, Rahul alias Bachchi studied up to Class VII and later worked as a rented auto-rickshaw driver in Bhiwani. Police allege that he subsequently became involved in vehicle theft due to substance abuse and bad company. His involvement in five criminal cases related to vehicle theft has been reported.

Sunny Rathi, a resident of the Jatwara locality in Bahadurgarh, has reportedly been linked to six criminal cases involving allegations of murder, robbery, offences under the Arms Act, extortion, vehicle theft and other offences.

Police are questioning both accused in connection with the recovered vehicles and other suspected thefts. The allegations remain subject to the ongoing investigation and judicial proceedings.

Which Police Stations' Cases Have Been Solved?

Police said the operation helped solve vehicle theft cases registered at the following police stations:

• Palam Village

• Sagarpur

• Moti Nagar

• Mehrauli

• Tilak Nagar

• Uttam Nagar

• Bindapur

The cases include the FIR registered at Palam Village Police Station and eight e-FIRs associated with the other vehicle theft incidents.

AATS Team Played a Key Role in the Operation

A special team of the South-West District AATS was formed to investigate the thefts and apprehend the suspects.

The team included SI Ram Pratap, ASI Dharmendra, ASI Vinod Kumar, Head Constables Mohit, Bharat, Pradeep, Narendra, Devendra, Prashant and Manoj Moral, along with Constables Praveen, Ravi Prakash and Dinesh.

The operation was conducted under the leadership of Inspector Ram Kumar, in-charge of the South-West District AATS, with close supervision by ACP Operations Sandeep Ghai.