Copyright indiatimes
A new modus operandi has emerged in Delhi’s car theft scene — one that blends old-school stealing with digital-age deception. Police have uncovered a racket that steals cars, forges their documents, clones legitimate vehicle identities, and sells them through online auto platforms and retail outlets.The Delhi Police Crime Branch launched an investigation after a pre-owned car company reported suspicious transactions involving five vehicles sold on its tech-driven platform. Three of those cars were traced to the firm’s Rithala facility and two more to its partner dealers — all sold using forged papers.An internal audit by the company revealed a network of thieves operating across states. According to the complaint, the gang’s process was systematic: after stealing a vehicle, they obtained details of another car of the same make, model, and colour. They then cloned the stolen vehicle, replacing chassis plates, duplicating registration numbers, and producing fake ownership documents, including registration certificates, Aadhaar and PAN cards, and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from finance companies.“The forgeries were so precise that when the vehicle details were checked on government portals and official databases, they appeared genuine,” the complainant said. The matching credentials made it almost impossible to detect fraud during standard verification.Investigators also found that the transactions were routed through bank accounts opened with forged credentials, allegedly with the help of certain bank insiders. Once the paperwork was ready, the stolen cars were sold either through the company’s network or other outlets.Live EventsIf a sale was rejected in one location, the gang simply tried again elsewhere. They also targeted vehicles still under finance by creating fake NOCs to show that loans had been cleared before selling them, the complaint added.The forged documents even carried counterfeit stamps and signatures, pointing to a coordinated and well-resourced criminal setup. To stay untraceable, members used multiple phone numbers during inspections and negotiations, switching or deactivating them after every transaction.A case has been registered under sections of theft, cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. Police have formed special teamsto track down the wider network behind the scam.With inputs from TOIAdd as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News ondelhi car theftstolen carscar cloning racketforged vehicle documentsdelhi police crime branchonline car scamfake registration papersvehicle identity theftcar resale scam (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News ondelhi car theftstolen carscar cloning racketforged vehicle documentsdelhi police crime branchonline car scamfake registration papersvehicle identity theftcar resale scam(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless
