Vehicle thief accused in 17 cases apprehended; four stolen two-wheelers recovered

New Delhi: As part of an ongoing crackdown on two-wheeler thieves in Delhi, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of the Shahdara District Police has arrested an alleged habitual vehicle thief. The accused has been identified as Ritesh, alias Piyush Tinkoo (23), a resident of Paharganj. Following his arrest and based on information provided by him, the police recovered four stolen two-wheelers, effectively solving four vehicle theft cases registered across the Shahdara, Central, and South districts.

Trap laid near a petrol pump

Shahdara District DCP Rajendra Prasad Meena stated that, in response to the recurring incidents of vehicle theft in the district, the AATS team analysed CCTV footage and intensified surveillance based on local intelligence. The accused was subsequently apprehended near an Indian Oil petrol pump on the Dilshad Garden-Ghaziabad DLF road. A stolen motorcycle was recovered from his possession, which was linked to a case registered at the Patel Nagar police station in the Central district.

During interrogation, acting on the accused's information, the police also recovered an Activa, a Splendor Plus, and another scooter. According to the police, the accused already has 17 prior cases of snatching and vehicle theft registered against him. He had been released from judicial custody on October 12.

Key roles played by police personnel

The operation was conducted under the leadership of Inspector Prateek Saxena, in charge of the AATS. The team included Head Constables Nishant Sharma, Umesh, and Kishan Pal, along with Constables Ajay and Shubham. The operation was carried out under the supervision of the ACP (Operations) and the overall guidance of Shahdara District DCP Rajendra Prasad Meena. The police are currently interrogating the accused and conducting further investigations into the matter.