MUMBAI, August 25: A special squad attached to the Nagpada police has busted a gang dealing in stolen spare parts of imported vehicles, such as Mercedes Benz 500 SEL, Lexus, Honda Accord, BMW and similar cars. After receiving complaints regarding the thefts, a squad was formed consisting of personnel from the Malabar Hill, Gamdevi, D B Marg and Nagpada police stations to check the menace. The members of the squad kept a close watch on various imported cars in their areas and finally arrested a ragpicker, who was caught trying to steal the mirror of a Mercedes Benz, Nagpada police inspector Shamsher Khan Pathan informed.

Acting on information provided by the ragpicker, they raided the premises of Mumtaz Khadda at Shuklaji Street and recovered two mirrors, two wheel caps, 10 wipers and four pattis worth Rs 1.8 lakh. Khadda's confession led to the arrest of Ghulam Dastigir Pondawalla, a spare part dealer in Chor Bazar, on July 22. A carborator was recovered from him.

According to police sub-inspector Satish Mayekar, a member of the squad, the carborators were to be sold for Rs 4,500, of which the thief would receive Rs 500 as commission.

A few days later, two other members of the gang, Muzaffar Qureshi and Mohammed Qureshi, were taken into custody on charges of theft of two rear-view mirrors of a Mercedes Benz, worth Rs 59,000. The mirrors attached to the Benz were motor driven, and had electric panels attached to them, hence the steep price.

Police claim that the racket was operated with the connivance of some top garage owners and dealers. If a car was sent to a garage for repair or replacement of any part, the workers would immediately inform the dealers about the demand for the spare part. The dealers would then have it stolen and supplied as brand new to desired customers, explained senior inspector Ajit Wagh. Mayekar states that the racket thrived in the upmarket suburbs where people can afford exorbitant prices for spare parts.

Vijay Salaskar, another member of the squad, suspects that the gang might be associated with spare parts dealers on the Kurla CST Road as well.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.