With the arrest of four persons and recovery of 13 stolen motor-cycles, the police today claimed to have busted an inter-district bike lifting racket in Jajpur district.
Besides the gang members, police also arrested nine receivers of stolen vehicles yesterday, Jajpur Road police station inspector-in-charge (IIC), Rajiv Lochan Panda said.
Police swung into action after Jajpur Superintendent of Police formed a special squad led by Jajpur Road IIC over frequent theft of motorcycles in Jajpur Road, Kalinga Nagar, Panikoili, Kuakhia, Korei and Barabati areas in the district for the last couple of months, Panda said.
The squad laid its net and finally managed to nab one of the members of the bike lifting racket. Based on his interrogation, the squad arrested all others members including the kingpin and all the nine receivers.
Later, police recovered as many as 13 stolen motorcycles from their possession, the IIC said.
On their modus of operendi, Panda said "The gang normally target old two wheelers because it is easy to unlock. They always have 5-6 keys with them and with the help of these keys, they open the lock of the bikes and take away".
It is an inter-district gang and was in operation in Jajpur, Keonjhar, Ganjam, Dhenkanal and Cuttack districts for the last one and half years, he said adding the gang had stolen at least 50 motorcycles and around 25 of them from the Jajpur district alone.
Panda said further investigation is on and there is possibility of recovery of more motorcycles and arrest of more persons involved in it.
