New Delhi [India], January 29 (ANI): The Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of South District has busted an interstate gang of Auto-Lifters/Receivers of luxury cars and arrested two accused persons after conducting multiple raids in Moradabad, Meerut, Bengaluru, and Karnataka, informed the police.

A total of 09 stolen Luxury Cars and SUVs and 01 country-made pistol with three live cartridges were recovered from their possession.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Farhad Ali alias Shanu, and Zakir HussainA case has been registered under sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act and 411 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Saket Police Station.

The team of the AATS was briefed and directed to take preventive and detective action to curb the crime particularly auto thefts in the area of South District.

Accordingly, the AATS Staff, SD made efforts and collected the details of the criminals involved in auto thefts. Informers were sensitized and the modus operandi used by the criminals in previous auto thefts was briefed to the staff for prevention and detection in the area.

Accordingly, a team was formed to develop important clues about the nexus behind these thefts.

After being assigned the task, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Deshraj and ASI Maksood geared up their manual information network and got some key inputs that the Uttar Pradesh and Bengaluru based interstate nexus is behind these thefts of Luxury SUVs.

The team purified the key inputs and dug out of board some more important inputs through manual as well as technical surveillance.

On January 21, the team got a specific information regarding the movement of two notorious auto-lifters in a stolen car, carrying illegal arms and ammunition in the area of South District.

The team laid a trap near Asian Market in New Delhi and after sometime, a car with the same identity was spotted.

The car was intercepted and the occupants were overpowered.

On their cursory checking, 01 illegal country-made pistol with three live cartridges was recovered.

Later on, they were identified as Farhad Ali and Zakir Hussain.

The arrested were asked to show the documents of the car but it was found that the registration number of the car was fake.

On further verification the car was found to be stolen and accordingly a case was registered. During sustained interrogation in length, the entire nexus was exposed.

It was revealed that accused Farhat Ali alias Shanu with his associates used to steal luxury cars, and XUVs from Delhi-NCR and tempered the Engine and Chasis numbers at Moradabad through one of his accomplices.

After changing the engine and chassis numbers, Farhat Ali used to sell the stolen cars in different states of South India through Zakir Hussain. (ANI)