New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) The Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police’s Shahdara district has arrested a 28-year-old habitual auto thief and snatcher, recovering five stolen two-wheelers and a snatched mobile phone, an official statement said on Tuesday.

Police said the accused has a long criminal history, with involvement in 19 previous cases related to snatching, robbery, and Arms Act offences.

According to the Delhi Police, the arrest was made as part of a special drive launched to curb the rising incidents of two-wheeler thefts in Shahdara district. The AATS team had been tasked with analysing CCTV footage from theft locations, developing local intelligence and identifying habitual vehicle thieves operating in the area.

A dedicated team led by Inspector Prateek Saxena, In-charge of AATS/Shahdara, comprising SI Anuj Kumar, Head Constables Yogender, Umesh, and Nishant, along with Constables Ajay and Clever, carried out the operation under the supervision of ACP, Operations, Mohinder Singh and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara.

As part of the operation, police conducted sustained surveillance, gathered secret intelligence, and deployed personnel in plain clothes at vulnerable locations.

Acting on specific intelligence, the team apprehended Umesh alias Himanshu, a resident of Trilokpuri in Delhi, near the Karkardooma Court red light on the service road leading towards Cross River Mall on Monday.

At the time of his arrest, the accused was riding a stolen motorcycle. Verification revealed that the motorcycle had been stolen in an e-FIR registered on June 13 at GTB Enclave Police Station under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

During sustained interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to his involvement in multiple vehicle thefts. Based on his disclosure, the police recovered four more stolen two-wheelers from different locations.

Investigators said the accused admitted that he had personally stolen two of the recovered vehicles, while the remaining two had been handed over to him by his associate, identified as Rashid, for safekeeping before they could be sold.

Police verification established that the recovered vehicles were linked to separate theft cases registered at Laxmi Nagar, GTB Enclave, Shakarpur, and Anand Vihar police stations.

During questioning, Umesh further disclosed that Rashid, who is also allegedly addicted to drugs, frequently met him near Sanjay Jheel. Police teams have launched efforts to trace and arrest the associate.

Apart from the stolen motorcycles and scooters, police also recovered a mobile phone from the accused’s possession.

During interrogation, Umesh allegedly admitted that he had snatched the phone near East Vinod Nagar Metro Station. Verification confirmed that the mobile phone was linked to an e-FIR registered on July 6 at Pandav Nagar Police Station in East Delhi under the relevant provisions of the BNS.

The recovered property includes a TVS Apache motorcycle, two Honda Activa scooters, two Hero Splendor Plus motorcycles, and one OPPO mobile phone.

Police said the recovery has helped solve six criminal cases, including five vehicle theft cases registered at GTB Enclave, Anand Vihar, Shakarpur and Laxmi Nagar police stations, along with one mobile phone snatching case registered at Pandav Nagar Police Station.

According to the police, Umesh alias Himanshu is a habitual offender with a criminal record spanning 19 previous cases involving snatching, robbery and offences under the Arms Act. He was released on bail from Mandoli Jail on May 18, in an Arms Act case.

Investigators said the accused is addicted to drugs and was unemployed. To finance his addiction and meet his daily expenses, he allegedly resorted to stealing two-wheelers and committing snatching offences across Delhi.

Further investigation is underway to recover more stolen property and to apprehend Rashid, who is suspected of playing an active role in disposing of stolen vehicles.

–IANS

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