![SSP Kathua Mohd. Suleman Choudhary addressing a press conference at Kathua on Friday. -Excelsior/Pardeep SSP Kathua Mohd. Suleman Choudhary addressing a press conference at Kathua on Friday. -Excelsior/Pardeep](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/page7-10.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Sept 1: Kathua police has busted a gang of inter-state two wheeler lifters and recovered 26 motorcycles stolen from Kathua areas within few months.
The Superintendent of Police Kathua, Mohd Suleman Choudhary while addressing media person at Police Station Kathua here, today said that larger complaints of two wheeler lifting were brought into the notice of police in past.
He said following the complaints special teams of police headed by DySP, SS Sambyal, Inspector, Anil Sharma SHO Kathua, and In charge PP Nagari Ashwani Kumar raided various locations in Kathua and Punjab State and succeeds in busted the gang operating in Kathua areas. He said five accused involved into theft cases were arrested and 26 stolen bikes were recovered from their possession. The police is investigating the matter thoroughly and it is hopeful that some more theft cases of bike would be solved out in the coming days. The police has also made contact with Punjab Police in this regard, he added.
Two accused were from Kathua and three were from Punjab area of Gurdasspur district, Choudahry said.
The SSP said the modus operandi of the thieves was that soon after stealing the motorcycles by using master key, they used to replace the number plates of the motorcycles with fake numbers to escape from being caught on naka points within 10 to 15 minutes of lifting the vehicles and cross over to Punjab border.
The thieves used to change name plates and apply fake name plates in their place. They were later selling them in different places in Kathua and Punjab.
He said that investigations were at preliminary stage and some more recoveries and arrests can’t be ruled out.
The entire operation was carried out under the supervision of S S Sambyal, DySP Kathua, he added.
The name of vehicle lifters are Amarjeet Singh alias Sunny S/o Ranjeet Singh R/o Kote Yog Raj district Gurdaspur, Punjab, Manoj Kumar alias Vinod S/o Rajinder Kumar R/o Adda Nehar Thind, Dhariwal, Batala, Punjab, Vishal S/o Roop Lal R/o Behrampur, Kathua A/P Fish Pond Kathua , Aman S/o Omkar Singh R/o Chandwan district Kathua A/P Police Family Quarter, Kathua and Sourab Singh S/o Devinder Singh R/o Badala, tehsil & district Kathua.