28/07/2025
Itanagar Police Bust Major Inter-State Vehicle Theft Racket
57 Stolen Vehicles Recovered So Far; 5 Key Accused Arrested, worth 30.5 crores
Acting on credible intelligence regarding an interstate vehicle theft and smuggling racket, the Itanagar Capital Police registered a suo-motu FIR, Ita PS case 102/25 U/S 111(2)(b)(3)(4)(5), 317(4), 336(2), 340, 61(2) BNS and accordingly, constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the close supervision of SP Capital, Jummar Basar, APPS. The SIT, led by SDPO Kengo Dirchi (Investigating Officer) and comprising Inspector K. Yangfo, SI P. Padam, SI S. Samuel, HCt. Robi, Ct. Samdeep Yadav, Ct. Digle, and Ct.Wangpan , successfully dismantled a large interstate vehicle smuggling syndicate operating across multiple states.
The crackdown commenced on 2nd July 2025, and during the course of the investigation, a total of 57 high -end stolen vehicles were recovered from various locations across the Itanagar Capital Region. Upon verification, all the vehicles were found to be blacklisted and linked to theft and robbery cases across Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states. The seized vehicles have been documented through the e-Sakshya portal.
List of recovered vehicles
Vehicle Model Number of Vehicles Recovered
Toyota Fortuner 09 Nos
Hyundai Creta 27 Nos
Kia Seltos 05 Nos
Maruti Brezza 02 Nos
Kia Sonet 02 Nos
Tata Safari 02 Nos
Tata Harrier 01 No.
Mahindra Thar 02 Nos
Mahindra Scorpio 01 No.
Toyota Innova 01 No.
Audi 01 No.
Ford Endeavour 01 No.
Hyundai Venue 01 No.
Maruti Baleno 01 No.
it is so far largest single PS recovery in india. The recovery is worth more than 30.5 Cr in rupees.
More vehicles are in the pipeline to be recovered. Teams are actively pursuing leads in and outside the state.
Modus Operandi:
The criminal network primarily targeted luxury and high-end vehicles in Delhi-NCR and adjoining states. After stealing the vehicles, the gang collaborated with brokers who altered engine and chassis numbers, prepared forged documents, and subsequently smuggled the vehicles to Arunachal Pradesh, where they were sold to unsuspecting buyers at below-market prices.
Preliminary findings also point towards the possibility of international links, suggesting that stolen vehicles or funds may have connections or transactions outside India, either through digital money trails or cross-border handlers. This aspect is currently under deeper investigation.
Public Advisory:
• Always verify ownership history through VAHAN or respective RTO records.
• Avoid buying vehicles without complete and genuine documentation.
• Immediately report any suspicious sellers or vehicles to your nearest police station.
Further Investigation:
Efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining absconding members of the racket and to recover additional stolen vehicles potentially circulating in the region.
