An interstate gang of car thieves has been busted with the arrest of five people and seizure of nine stolen high-end SUVs, police said on Thursday.
Investigation was launched after police came to know that some people were selling high-end vehicles at throwaway prices, raising suspicion that these might have been stolen.
A case was registered at Parimpora Police Station and the investigation led to the arrests and seizure. The vehicles, allegedly stolen from different states, were sezied from Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
The accused would steal a vehicle in one state and look for a similar vehicle in terms of make model and colour operating in another state, the spokesman said.
"Then they would get a duplicate registration number plate of the genuine vehicle fixed on the stolen vehicle to pass them off as a a genuine registered vehicle," he added.
During investigations, police found that vehicles -- with same registration plates as those of the seized vehicles -- were with their genuine owners.
The arrested people were identified as Mohammad Ayub Dar, Mohammad Ayub Khan, Sameer Ahmad, Liyaqat Ali Dar and Mohammad Younis Rather, police said, adding efforts are on to nab other members of the gang.