In a major crackdown on motorcycle theft, police in Gulbahar Colony, also known as Golimar, busted a gang of tech-savvy young criminals on Tuesday.
The notorious gang specialised in stealing motorcycles, forging documents, and selling the bikes online, skillfully evading the notice of anti-vehicle lifting agencies.
According to SSP Central Zeeshan Siddiqui, the modus operandi of the motorbike lifters was a sophisticated three-stage operation, which they had been successfully using to make illegal money.
“The gang members would first acquire legitimate documents for motorcycles. These documents were the foundation of their illicit trade,” Siddiqui said, talking to the media.
“Then, using these genuine papers, they would forge fake documents for the stolen motorcycles, ensuring that the bikes appeared legal and trustable.”
With tampered engine and chassis numbers, these motorcycles were then listed and sold on various online platforms, deceiving unsuspecting buyers, the SSP revealed.
Siddiqui said that the gang was highly active across various parts of Karachi. The culprits, identified as Bilawal, Shah Rukh, and Rizwan, have confessed to tampering with and selling dozens of stolen motorcycles.
During the operation, police recovered eight stolen motorcycles and five chassis from the gang’s possession. The police said that each gang member had his own special expertise in this criminal operation.
Rizwan, one of the gang members, admitted to faking the documents and later selling the stolen motorcycles online. Bilawal, another of the thieves, confessed to lifting the motorcycles, often targeting specific models on demand. Shah Rukh, an expert in tampering with engine and chassis numbers, used to charge Rs3,000 for each alteration, the police said.
“With the gang now in custody, formal legal proceedings have been initiated against them,” SSP Central said, adding, “The successful operation marks a significant step in curbing motorcycle theft and fraud in Karachi.
