27 February,2014 07:53 AM IST | | Vinay Dalvi
Mumbai is a good hunting ground as there are plenty of SUVs in the city. Every year more than 3,000 vehicles are stolen from the city and driven to various parts of the country
If you are planning to purchase an SUV, think again. An RTI query filed by MiD DAY has revealed that four-wheelers like Tavera, Scorpio, Bolero and Innova top the list of the most popular vehicles preferred among the city's car thieves.
Every year more than 3,000 vehicles are stolen from the city and driven to various parts of the country, which include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.
fficials from the Motor Vehicle Theft (MVT) department, which was formed to trace stolen vehicles in the city, said it was a widespread network linked by seven to eight chains of gangs, till the vehicle reaches the final buyer.
According to the police officials, SUVs are in huge demand in Uttar Pradesh throughout the year. Gangs supply these vehicles not just to buyers in UP, but there is a demand in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu too.
"A gang based in Pratapgarh, UP, is the most active in stealing vehicles from the city. The gang members who have mastered the art of making duplicate keys work as taxi drivers in the day and keep a watch on vehicles parked in isolated areas," said Assistant Sub-Inspector Sadanand Kokitkar from the MVT dept, adding, "The car thieves sell each of these vehicles for anything between Rs 50,000 to 70,000 based on the requirement of the buyers."
UP connection
For the last five to six years, the police department has noticed a remarkable increase in the number of vehicle thieves arriving in the city from the little known district of Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh.
Vehicles stolen in 2013
"A detailed interrogation of these thieves has revealed that the gang moves around with only a chaddi (trousers), banyan (vest), towel and tooth brush with them. They rent out small hutments in slum pockets across the city, and keep shifting their locations to avoid getting traced," Kokitkar added.
>> Tavera, Scorpio, Bolero top the list of stolen vehicles
>> Most of the thieves are from Pratapgarh in UP
>> Work during the day as drivers, thieves at night
