Staff Reporter 

ITANAGAR, Jul 28: In a major breakthrough, the Itanagar Capital Police successfully busted a large-scale inter-state vehicle theft and smuggling racket, recovering 57 luxury and high-end vehicles worth over `30.5 crore. This operation marks the largest-ever single police station recovery of stolen vehicles in the country so far.
The case came to light after the Capital Police, acting on credible intelligence inputs, registered a suo-motu FIR (Ita PS case no. 102/25) under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including 111(2)(b)(3)(4)(5), 317(4), 336(2), 340, and 61(2). A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was swiftly constituted under the close supervision of Superintendent of Police (SP) Capital, Jummar Basar. The SIT was led by SDPO Kengo Dirchi, the Investigating Officer, and included Inspector K. Yangfo, SI P. Padam, SI S. Samuel, Head Constable Robi, and Constables Samdeep Yadav, Digle, and Wangpan.
The crackdown, which commenced on July 2, led to the recovery of stolen vehicles from various locations across the Itanagar Capital Region. Verification through national databases confirmed that all the recovered vehicles had been blacklisted in connection with theft and robbery cases reported from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states. All recoveries were documented via the e-Sakshya portal for digital evidence tracking.
The recovered fleet includes 27 Hyundai Cretas, 9 Toyota Fortuners, 5 Kia Seltos, 2 each of Maruti Brezza, Kia Sonet, Tata Safari, and Mahindra Thar, along with one each of Tata Harrier, Mahindra Scorpio, Toyota Innova, Audi, Ford Endeavour, Hyundai Venue, and Maruti Baleno. The total market value of the recovered vehicles exceeds `30.5 crore.
According to the preliminary investigation, the criminal syndicate mainly targeted high-value vehicles from Delhi-NCR and neighbouring states. Once stolen, the vehicles were routed through a network of brokers who manipulated engine and chassis numbers, fabricated documents, and transported them to Arunachal Pradesh. Here, they were sold to unsuspecting buyers at reduced prices, creating a thriving underground market.
Authorities have also hinted at possible international linkages. Investigators are probing whether either the stolen vehicles or the money trails have connections to foreign handlers or cross-border digital transactions. These aspects are currently under further scrutiny by the SIT.
So far, five key accused have been arrested, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other absconding members of the gang. Additional recoveries are expected as the investigation continues, with police teams actively following leads both within and outside the state.
The police have also issued a public advisory urging citizens to exercise caution while purchasing vehicles. Buyers are strongly encouraged to verify vehicle ownership through official channels like VAHAN or respective RTOs and to refrain from purchasing vehicles without complete and authentic documentation. Any suspicious activity or sellers should be immediately reported to the nearest police station, stated a release.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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