The police, while checking his criminal record, found that the accused had more than 70 cases registered against him across multiple districts in Maharashtra, said an official
The accused in police custody on Wednesday
The RAK Marg Police arrested a 35-year-old serial car thief who was wanted in multiple cases of motor vehicle theft and house break-ins across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, and parts of Pune and Nashik in Maharashtra, officials said on Wednesday.
According to police officials, the matter surfaced last month when a Byculla resident approached the police, stating that his car, parked near a garden on RAK Marg, had gone missing. The accused had broken into the vehicle using specialised tools and fled with it. Based on the complaint, a case under Section 303 (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered, and a police team was formed to trace the culprit.
The team examined footage from at least 150 CCTV cameras across Wadala, Sewri, Kalachowki, Cotton Green, Mazgaon, Byculla, JJ Marg, Nagpada, Mumbai Central, Worli, Parel, Dadar, Matunga, and Sion to narrow down the accused’s movements, said an official.
Eventually, police tracked him down at Linking Road in Santacruz and placed him under arrest. Three mobile phones, suspected to be stolen, were recovered from his possession. Upon further inquiry, it was found that the phones had been snatched in Pimpri Chinchwad, where the MIDC Bhosari police have registered a separate case of mobile theft and snatching against him. The stolen car was also recovered during the course of the investigation, the official said.
Police, while checking his criminal record, found that the accused had more than 70 cases registered against him across multiple districts including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vapi, Valsad, Anandnagar, Junagadh, Umri, Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune City, Pune Rural, Thane City, Palghar, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Mumbai City, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Raigad, he said.
His modus operandi remained largely the same – targeting parked, unattended, and often locked vehicles, breaking in using sophisticated techniques, and later disposing of the stolen property on the black market, according to the police.
The accused has been identified as Junaid Yusuf Sheikh alias Bambya, a resident of Khar. He is said to have confessed to his involvement in multiple theft cases, said the official.
The arrest was made by the detection team of RAK Marg Police under the supervision of ACP Yeshwant Gaikwad and Senior Inspector Sanjeev Talegaonkar. Officials said further investigation is underway to identify more victims and trace possible links to other theft gangs operating in the region.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
