Five auto-lifters arrested in Noida, 22 two-wheelers recovered

Five auto-lifters, operating in the national capital region, were arrested in separate incidents and 22 stolen two-wheelers recovered from them in Gautam Buddh Nagar, officials said Wednesday.

During checks on Tuesday, three persons on a motorcycle were intercepted by the police in Greater Noida. When probed, the three turned out to be notorious criminals involved in the theft of over 150 motorcycles and scooters in Ghaziabad, Delhi and Noida, a senior official said.

The trio, identified as Rohit (24), Shahzaad (27) and Pintu (25), led the police to an abandoned factory in Kasna area where they had stocked 10 motorcycles stolen recently. They have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), 414 (assisting in concealment of stolen property) and related offences, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vineet Jaiswal said. Two of their associates are on the run, the SP said.

In a separate incident, another two auto-lifters were arrested at around 12.30 am on Wednesday by the personnel of Dadri police station. The arrests were made after the two were found riding stolen motorcycles, the SP said. Their third partner, however, managed to evade the police in the darkness.

"The two arrested have been identified as Aadil and Mehboob, both are from Bulandshahr. After questioning, the duo helped the police recover nine motorcycles hidden in a dilapidated building near Beel Akbarpur village, the SP said.

The arrested told the police that they would steal two-wheelers from Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Noida and sell them off by themselves, Jaiswal said.

In some instances, they would sell the bikes and scooters in parts, he added.

They admitted to having stolen "several" motorcycles and scooters in the past, the official said. As part of the district police's concerted effort to check vehicle thefts, 21 persons were arrested Tuesday and 30 two-wheelers were recovered, according to an official.