RAJKOT: Two members of an inter-state gang involved in selling stolen cars by changing the chassis, engine numbers were arrested by the Rajkot special operation group (SOG) cops on Saturday.
Police have seized eight such cars on the basis of information provided by the arrested accused.
The police had received a tip-off about a gang, which was led by Ankur Sanchaniya (24) and Shahbaz Joban (20), involved in selling stolen cars in Rajkot.
The gang used to buy scrapped and damaged cars from insurance companies through online auctions.
Thereafter, the two used to ask their aides in Delhi to steal a car of the same model and colour from another state.
They exchanged the chassis number and engine number of the stolen cars with that of the scrapped ones and later sold the cars.
Based on specific information, the police intercepted the car which the two accused — Sanchaniya and Joban — were using at the Nana Mauva circle.
During interrogation the two revealed the car they were travelling in was also a stolen one.
They also confessed to selling seven stolen cars in the last four year using the same modus operandi.
“In many cases the insurance company buys the damaged cars in accidents at scrap value and sells it through an auction.
This gang used to install the chassis, engine and RTO number of scrap cars into the stolen cars and sell them as second hand cars,” SOG police inspector R Y Raval said.
Aslam Ansari, police sub inspector of SOG and investigation officer, said that the cops have seized seven cars that the two had sold in the last few years.
“The accused sold four stolen cars in Rajkot and one each in Halvad, Morbi and Porbandar,” Ansari added.
The stolen cars with the chassis, engine and RTO numbers of the scrapped cars used to be registered in the names of purchasers in the RTO record.
The insurance companies while selling the scrapped cars also provided RTO papers and based on that, this gang used to transfer the cars in the name of the purchaser.
The police seized eight cars valued at Rs 30 lakh and are searching two persons based in Delhi who used to steal the cars.