Nandurbar police bust interstate gang of vehicle thieves, recover 32 stolen motorcycles worth over Rs 30 lakh

Nashik: The Nandurbar police have arrested three men and solved 19 motorcycle theft cases spanning Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, recovering 32 stolen bikes worth Rs 30.3 lakh, officials said.The breakthrough followed a recent crime review meeting where superintendent of police Ashwini Sanap ordered prompt investigations into pending motorcycle theft cases in the district. Acting on this, the local crime branch (LCB) intensified its probe.Under SP Sanap’s guidance, LCB inspector Hemant Patil and his team analysed past theft patterns, mapped hotspots and tracked activities of recently released vehicle thieves, the police said.On June 26, Patil received a tip-off that two men would arrive at Chikhli Phata in Mhasawad village to sell a stolen black motorcycle. “The LCB team then laid a trap and apprehended two suspects riding a black bike,” the police said.The duo, identified as Balwan alias Ajay Dnyaneshwar Kharde (29) and Himmatsing Sattersing Pawra (29), both from Nandurbar, initially gave evasive answers when asked for vehicle documents, but later confessed to stealing the motorcycle two months ago from near a temple with the help of an accomplice, Rizwan Teli.

A case had already been registered at the Dhadgaon police station.Based on their confession, police tracked down and arrested the third accused, Rizwan Teli (29). During interrogation, the three men admitted to stealing multiple motorcycles from Nandurbar and Nashik districts, as well as from neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, the police said, adding that the stolen bikes were hidden or distributed among relatives and acquaintances.Acting on their disclosures, the LCB recovered 32 motorcycles from various locations. “Out of the 32 recovered vehicles, 19 have been directly linked to previously registered cases,” the police said. The cases include two in Nandurbar, five in Nashik, six in Madhya Pradesh and six in Gujarat.The police said efforts are on to identify the original owners of the remaining seized motorcycles and verify if more cases are linked to the accused.