Adilabad Police Arrest 8 in Inter-State Bike Theft Gang, Recover 44 Two-Wheelers

The Adilabad police on Wednesday busted an inter-State bike theft gang with the arrest of eight persons and recovered 44 stolen two-wheelers. The arrests followed a detailed investigation into a series of vehicle thefts reported under the limits of the Ichoda police station in the erstwhile Adilabad district.

The police probe was launched after Dharade Balaji, a resident of Subhash Nagar Colony, lodged a complaint at the Ichoda police station on August 6. Balaji reported that unidentified persons had stolen his motorcycle, which was parked in front of his house. Investigating officers used CCTV footage, technical evidence, and reliable inputs to track down and apprehend the suspects.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that they had formed a gang to earn illegal money by stealing two-wheelers across Ichoda, Adilabad, Nirmal, and Nizamabad districts, as well as adjacent regions in Maharashtra. To avoid detection, the gang replaced the registration number plates of the stolen vehicles before selling them to buyers for a profit.

Adilabad Superintendent of Police Akhil Mahajan identified the five accused directly involved in stealing the vehicles as Marampelli Anil, 21, and Shaik Shabbir, 39, both residents of Chincholi village; Shaik Mustashahid, 36, of Keshavapatnam; and Mohammed Zakir, 55, and Mohammed Shafi, 37, both from Sirikonda village. The three buyers arrested in the operation were identified as Mujahid and Kareem, both from Keshavapatnam, and Iqbal, a resident of Gundala.

Following information provided by the accused, police successfully recovered 44 two-wheelers. Investigators are currently gathering details on approximately 20 other individuals who allegedly purchased stolen vehicles from the gang. The process of identifying the original owners of the recovered motorcycles is under way, alongside further inquiries into previous vehicle theft complaints.

SP Mahajan advised the public to park their two-wheelers in secure areas, ensure they are locked at all times, and choose locations monitored by CCTV cameras whenever possible. He also urged citizens to report any suspicious individuals or activities to the police immediately.