The Bagepalli police arrested six mechanics from Kadiri in Andhra Pradesh for stealing as many as 30 bikes in the last five months.
The accused Sheikh Moula, Imran Pathan, D. Vengamani, Khadar Pasha, P. Shaheed and S. Mohammed Ali were arrested by a special team of police while they were fleeing with a stolen bike.
Deputy Superintendent of Police V.K. Vasudev, heading the investigations, said that the accused, aged between 25 and 27, used to come to Bagepalli and other bordering areas, move around residential areas to identify bikes parked outside houses and steal them. As the accused are mechanics , they knew how to break the handlocks and start the engine without ignition keys.
The accused would then ride the stolen bikes back to their hometown, sell them and share the money.
Based on a series of bike-theft cases , a special team had been formed to keep a watch and put up checkpoints at the entry and exit to monitor suspicious movements. After several days of keeping a watch, the police succeeded in apprehending a few members of the gang while they were trying to flee with the stolen bikes.
The total value of the seized bikes estimated to be ₹60 lakh, Mr. Vasudev said. The police have taken the accused into custody to investigate their criminal background.
