Delhi Luxury Car Theft Racket Busted: Stolen Vehicles Sold in Bengaluru Worth ₹2.31 Crore
In a significant crackdown on inter-state crime, the Bengaluru police have dismantled a sophisticated racket involved in stealing high-end luxury cars from Delhi and selling them in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The operation led to the arrest of two key accused and the recovery of nine stolen cars and one two-wheeler, collectively valued at a staggering ₹2.31 crore.
Modus Operandi of the Racket
According to Seemant Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Bengaluru City Police, the accused meticulously executed their plan by targeting luxury vehicles in Delhi, each priced above ₹30 lakh. They believed that transporting the stolen cars to South India would significantly reduce the risk of detection by law enforcement agencies.
The criminals employed a clever yet flawed strategy: after stealing the vehicles in Delhi, they transported them to Bengaluru, where they forged registration numbers and fabricated documents to make the cars appear legitimate. However, in a critical oversight, they left the chassis and engine numbers unchanged, which ultimately became the key evidence that helped police crack the case.
Investigation and Arrests
The theft ring came to light following a complaint filed by a resident of KG Halli in Bengaluru on January 4, 2026, after his two-wheeler was stolen from outside his house. Acting swiftly on CCTV footage, the Govindapura police arrested Syed Nizam, a 37-year-old car dealer from Pulakeshi Nagar, the very next day.
During interrogation, Nizam revealed his involvement in selling stolen cars with the assistance of an associate based in Delhi. Suspecting a larger conspiracy, the police secured a 19-day custody for Nizam and intensified their probe. This led to the arrest of the second accused, Mohammed Muzaffar, a 26-year-old Delhi-based associate, on January 14 in Hyderabad.
Recovery of Stolen Vehicles
Following the arrests, the Bengaluru police successfully recovered nine stolen luxury cars, which had been strategically parked in vacant plots across residential layouts in the city. A police officer involved in the operation noted, "The cars stolen from Delhi were brought to Bengaluru and parked in isolated areas where suspicion was minimal."
Techniques to Evade Detection
The accused demonstrated a high level of caution in their communications, exclusively using internet calls to contact each other and avoiding regular phone calls to prevent interception. This digital stealth, however, was not enough to shield them from the diligent police work that uncovered their activities.
Commissioner Singh emphasized that the racket appears to be part of a broader network, with nine theft cases already registered in Delhi. Coordination between Bengaluru and Delhi police teams is ongoing, and further investigations are underway to uncover additional links and suspects involved in this inter-state vehicle theft syndicate.
This bust highlights the evolving tactics of organized crime in India and the crucial role of inter-state police collaboration in tackling such sophisticated operations. The recovery of assets worth crores underscores the importance of vigilance and technological aids like CCTV in modern law enforcement.
