Crime branch busted a four-member vehicle-lifter gang from Katara Hills area and recovered 16 vehicles worth `9 lakh from their possession on Saturday.
Acting on a tip-off two youth who were trying to sell motorbike at low price were nabbed from Katara Hills and when they were asked regarding the motorbike they failed to provide the details of the motorbike and confessed that the motorbike was stolen three months ago from Koh-e-Fiza area.
The two were identified as Altaf Beldar (22) of Sukhisewania and Raju Khan (22) of Sehore who confessed stealing of motorbikes from different parts of the city and other areas along with their accomplices who used to steal and dispose the vehicles.
In the initial investigation the provided name of their accomplice Shabbir Khan (23) of Sukhisewania who went absconding while other two accomplices who were involved in disposing the vehicles were nabbed. Altaf, Shabbir and Raju used to steal vehicles and would later handover the vehicles to their other accomplices identified as Akram Ali (22) of Berasia and Iqbal Khan (20) of Sukhisewania.
The gang is operating for the past six months. They used to target motorbikes of Hero Honda as the locks of the vehicles were easy to be unlocked. The registration number plates were changed inside the forest during late night and wee hours and later they would be sold at very prices.
During the investigation accused confessed stealing of vehicles from Kotwali, Bairagarh, Aishbagh, Shahjehanbad, Ashoka Garden, Koh-e-Fiza, Jehangirabad and Gautam Nagar areas of the city. Among other areas accused have stolen vehicles from Kotwali area of Vidisha and Ashok Nagar.k