The Delhi Police has arrested two alleged vehicle thieves and recovered 10 high-end motorcycles worth around Rs 13 lakh in outernorth Delhi, an official said on Thursday.
The accused were identified as Pankaj (24), who has eight previous cases, and Taslim (22), who has two previous involvements, he said.
“The arrests were made under ‘Operation Bullet’, a targeted initiative by the Delhi Police to curb the increasing theft of premium motorcycles, especially Royal Enfields, from the area,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Nidhin Valsan said in his official statement.
According to police, a team was formed to work on recent theft patterns and acting on a specific tip-off, the police team laid a trap near Bhalswa Lake in the Mukundpur area on May 20.
At around 6 pm, two men arrived on a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle, and on verification, the bike was found to be stolen and linked to a case registered at Swaroop Nagar Police Station on May 12, police said in its official statement.
“On sustained interrogation, both accused confessed to multiple motorcycle thefts and revealed the locations of other stolen vehicles,” the DCP said, adding that subsequent raids in parts of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh led to the recovery of nine more motorcycles from their hideouts.
The officer added that the accused typically broke handle locks and used direct wiring techniques to start the motorcycles. In one instance, they stole a vehicle from a house and attempted a break-in, though the burglary was unsuccessful, he added.