Delhi Police Busts Auto-Lifting Gang, Recovers High-End Vehicles

Delhi Police dismantled a gang notorious for high-end vehicle thefts, capturing prime suspect Istiyak, previously involved in over 95 criminal cases. Advanced surveillance and strategic operations led to Istiyak's arrest and recovery of multiple stolen luxury cars. Raids continue to nab his accomplices Wasim and Sikander.

In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police announced Monday the busting of an auto-lifting gang responsible for stealing high-end vehicles in the national capital. The operation culminated in the arrest of Istiyak, a hardened criminal with a history of over 95 cases, including Auto-Lifting, Theft, Arms Act violations, Attempts to Murder, and one MCOCA case.

A specialized project team from the West District police stations was assembled with the primary task of tracking auto-lifters and recovering stolen vehicles. Leveraging Smart Monitoring Tools and scrutinizing CCTV footage, the team managed to trace the whereabouts of the criminals.

On September 17, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) utilized the extensive CCTV footage to set a trap. Istiyak, driving a white Toyota Fortuner, was spotted and pursued from Seemapuri. A 2-kilometer chase ended with his arrest. Inside the vehicle, the police found several car-lock breaking tools and a mobile phone used for coordinating with accomplices. Follow-up operations led to the recovery of five additional stolen luxury cars from various hideouts. Raids are ongoing to capture his partners, Wasim and Sikander.

(With inputs from agencies.)