Vadodara: The detection of crime branch (DCB) on Tuesday arrested two men involved in more than 21 vehicle thefts across the state and recovered 12 stolen two-wheelers and three vehicle engines from their possession.The accused have been identified as Munnawar Hussain Sheikh and his accomplice Imran Sheikh who runs a garage in Ahmedabad. Police officials said the duo had been operating a vehicle theft racket for the past several months. Sheikh used to steal two-wheelers from different cities and sell them to Imran.The crime branch got a tip-off that a man was attempting to sell a two-wheeler in the Karelibaug area of the city. A team reached the spot and apprehended the man who was identified as Munnawar Sheikh. When questioned about the two-wheeler he was riding, Sheikh failed to provide satisfactory answers or produce ownership documents. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle belonged to a resident of Bharuch and had been stolen.The cops also recovered seven vehicle keys from Sheikh. During interrogation, Sheikh admitted to having stolen two-wheelers from Vadodara, Patan, Anand, Mehsana and Surendranagar over the past eight months. The cops said that he used duplicate keys to unlock and steal parked two-wheelers before transporting them to Ahmedabad.Investigators found that Sheikh had parked three stolen scooters at his residence, while the remaining vehicles had already been sold to Imran. The cops then tracked down Imran and recovered several stolen two-wheelers and vehicle engines. The cops are now investigating if any more persons are involved in the racket.Crime branch sleuths said that Sheikh has a criminal history and was previously arrested in 17 cases including vehicle theft and gambling offences in Ahmedabad, Nadiad, Anand and Gandhinagar. “Sheikh used to steal the two-wheelers parked by people who travelled by bus to other cities for work. He used to cover his face with a piece of cloth to avoid identification through CCTVs,” the police added.Imran used to sell spare parts: The police said that Imran Sheikh used to buy stolen vehicles for Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 from Munnawar Sheikh. Imran used to tear apart the vehicles and sell the spare parts to avoid getting caught by the police.
