Arunachal Police recover 57 stolen luxury vehicles valued at Rs 30.5 crore
Itanagar: Arunachal Police have unearthed an interstate vehicle theft and smuggling racket, recovering 57 high-end stolen vehicles valued at more than Rs 30.5 crore.
The police said it is the single largest recovery of stolen vehicles by any police station in the country so far.
Addressing a press conference, Itanagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Jummar Basar said five individuals have been arrested in connection with the racket. Further investigations are underway to trace remaining members of the syndicate and recover more vehicles.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the police registered a suo motu FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by SDPO Kengo Dirchi. The SIT included Inspector K. Yangfo, Sub-Inspectors P. Padam and S. Samuel, Head Constable Robi, and Constables Samdeep Yadav, Digle, and Wangpan.
The crackdown began on July 2, with raids conducted at multiple locations within the Itanagar Capital Region. The stolen vehicles—verified through the e-Sakshya portal—were found to be linked to theft and robbery cases registered in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states.
Among the 57 vehicles recovered are nine Toyota Fortuners, 27 Hyundai Cretas, five Kia Seltos, two Maruti Brezzas, two Kia Sonets, two Tata Safaris, one Tata Harrier, two Mahindra Thars, one Mahindra Scorpio, one Toyota Innova, one Audi, one Ford Endeavour, one Hyundai Venue, and one Maruti Baleno.
SP Basar said the syndicate targeted luxury and premium vehicles from Delhi-NCR and nearby states. The stolen vehicles were handed over to brokers, who tampered with chassis and engine numbers, forged documents, and moved the vehicles to Arunachal Pradesh. These were then sold to buyers at below-market prices.
Preliminary investigations suggest possible international links, with digital money trails and cross-border involvement currently under scrutiny.
The SP added that efforts are ongoing to track more vehicles and arrest additional members of the syndicate. Authorities suspect that several stolen vehicles linked to the racket may still be in circulation.
Basar also issued a public advisory urging citizens to verify vehicle ownership records through the VAHAN portal or local RTOs before making purchases. He warned against buying vehicles without proper documentation and asked the public to report suspicious sellers or vehicles to the nearest police station.