Thane: The Bhiwandi unit of Thane crime branch has arrested three habitual offenders and solved 41 cases of two-wheeler theft across the district. Police recovered 58 stolen motorcycles and scooters collectively valued at Rs 10.6 lakh.The arrests were made recently following specific directives from police commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre to curb rising incidents of vehicle theft in the commissionerate. Acting on a tip-off received by police constable Sabir Sheikh, along with constable Vijay Kumbhar and other Crime Branch officers, a trap was laid to apprehend the accused. The arrested have been identified as Ganesh alias Ganu Raju More (21) from Dombivli, Saheb-ali alias Chotu Sultan-ali Sheikh (19), and Sunil alias Bala Shankar Rathod (20), both residents of Bhiwandi.During interrogation, the trio confessed to multiple thefts across several police station jurisdictions, including Narpoli, Bhiwandi City, Shantinagar, Nizampura, Bazarpeth, Badlapur East, Vartak Nagar, Naupada, and Bhiwandi taluka. Most offences have been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Senior police inspector Shital Raut said the accused primarily targeted two-wheelers parked on roads outside housing societies, especially those without proper locks. Investigators revealed that the gang used a simple yet effective method to steal vehicles. One of the accused, Chotu Sheikh, a mechanic by profession, would start the ignition by directly connecting wires. The stolen vehicles were then tried to be disposed of in different cities without valid documentation, making tracing difficult.Police said further investigation is underway to identify additional buyers and possible accomplices in the racket.The operation was carried out under Raut along with a team of officers, whose coordinated efforts led to the recovery of stolen property and the arrest of the serial offenders.
