New Delhi: A Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) councillor from Uttar Pradesh and two accomplices were arrested for running an auto-lifting gang, the police said yesterday.

"Mohammed Arif (36), councillor in Behjoi in Muradabad was arrested on Wednesday for operating a auto-lifting gang in Delhi. He has a criminal record of past five years and was earlier associated with the Samajwadi Party," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Delhi) H G S Dhaliwal.

"Earlier, he had managed to evade his arrest due to his influence," he added.

The police said he was nabbed following arrest of his two accomplices Mukesh (23) and Kabeer (23) last month.

The duo was arrested on June 19 for stealing cars in Delhi and selling these to Arif for Rs 20,000 each.

Dhaliwal said Arif's auto workshop in Muradabad was searched and three stolen Maruti vans, dismantled engines and chassis were recovered.