Mumbai Police have cracked down on a truck theft racket with the arrest of two members of a gang that stole trucks from Mumbai and sold them in Gujarat. The Vanrai Police have recovered six stolen trucks in this operation. The mastermind of the gang is a habitual offender with over 10 serious criminal cases registered against him across various police stations.
The investigation began after a truck was reported stolen from Goregaon on June 8. A case was registered at the Vanrai Police Station, and during the course of the investigation, police traced the leads all the way to Gujarat. With the assistance of Surat Police, the accused Narasinh Roopswaroop Singh (44), a resident of Indore, was apprehended. He was found in possession of the stolen truck, which has now been seized.
During interrogation, Singh revealed that a larger gang was involved in the truck thefts. The kingpin, identified as Javed Abdulla Shaikh (54), has multiple criminal cases registered against him in Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Dhule, Nashik, and other districts across Maharashtra.
According to police officials, the gang targeted heavy vehicles commonly found parked in industrial zones of Mumbai. After stealing the trucks, the gang would transport them to Gujarat, where the chassis and engine numbers were altered in local garages. The modified trucks were then fraudulently registered with the help of officials from the Gujarat Regional Transport Office (RTO), making them appear legally owned. These trucks were sold at throwaway prices in Gujarat, and because of the forged documentation and RTO clearance, buyers were unaware of their stolen origins. The gang also arranged vehicle loans through banks, further masking their criminal activities.
Senior Police Inspector Girish Bane of Vanrai Police Station confirmed the recovery of six stolen trucks and said that efforts are underway to trace more vehicles stolen by the same gang.
The case highlights an organized criminal network operating across states, involving vehicle theft, forgery, and collusion with corrupt officials to legalize stolen goods.