CHANDIGARH, June 28 —The Operation Cell of the UT Police has busted an interstate gang of vehicle thieves, known as the ‘Munna Gang’, allegedly responsible for a string of auto thefts across Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Police have arrested three core gang members, including the kingpin, along with a scrap dealer who received the stolen property. Eleven vehicle theft cases have been solved with these arrests.
The operation unfolded on June 26 when police set up a naka near the National Institute of Technical Teacher Training and Research (NITTTR) in Sector 26. A suspicious Splendor motorcycle was stopped, and its rider, Aslam, failed to produce valid ownership documents. An e-FIR filed on June 15 at the IT Park police station had reported the same vehicle as stolen.
Upon interrogation, Aslam revealed that his associates were in Manimajra with a stolen Royal Enfield Bullet. Acting swiftly, the police deployed a team and arrested Manoj Thakur alias Munna and Navneet Pratap Singh near the Sports Complex in Manimajra. The Bullet was confirmed stolen.
Subsequent disclosures led to the recovery of a sizeable cache: three Honda City cars, three Honda Activa scooters, four Hero Splendor motorcycles, one Royal Enfield Bullet, eight vehicle batteries, and several stolen vehicle documents. The gang’s modus operandi involved hiding stolen vehicles in various corners of Chandigarh before transporting them to Ludhiana, where parts such as batteries were stripped and sold separately.
Further investigation led to a raid in Ludhiana, where Jaiparkash alias Betia, a scrap dealer, was arrested. Eight stolen batteries and numerous vehicle documents were recovered from his possession.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Manoj Thakur alias Munna (40), the gang leader and a resident of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. He is a history-sheeter with over 33 FIRs against him and is a proclaimed offender in several cases.
- Aslam (57), a Ludhiana resident, has a long criminal history involving theft, kidnapping, and assault cases across Punjab, Panchkula, Mohali, and Chandigarh.
- Navneet Pratap Singh (33), hailing from Kanpur, has prior violations under the Excise Act.
- Jaiparkash alias Betia (36), a scrap dealer from Ludhiana, has no prior criminal record but is now facing charges for receiving stolen property.
Police said the gang’s dismantling marks a major success in curbing organized vehicle theft operations in the region. Investigations are ongoing to trace more stolen vehicles and identify potential buyers or accomplices.
