Kasargod: Police unearth network of auto thieves, arrest trio

Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (EP)

Kasargod, Sep 11: Kasargod police have unearthed a network of auto rickshaw thieves in Kasargod. Eight autos have been seized from them.
 
The arrested are P V Rasheed (26) of Hosadurg, K Ganesh (47), owner of Sri Ganesh workshop at Kushalnagar, and Majid Haji (46) of Aavi.

The trio is said to have stolen more than twenty autos during the last year. They used to change the appearance of the autos and sell them, police said.

As there were several complaints of missing autos from various places in the district the police had intensified their search. The autos used to be stolen using a special technique after the drivers parked them and went away.
 
Rashid used to sell stolen autos to Majid. Majid would take them to Ganesh’s garage, change the number plates, body, seats etc and sell at available price.
 
Most of the money made from sold autos used to come to Majid and Rashid. Ganesh used to be paid Rs 1,000 and cost of repairs. Rashid was the mastermind. They used to steal autos from railway stations, mosques and other crowded places unobtrusively. The autos were then used for illegal transport of liquor, sand and such other items.
 
Investigation has revealed that more than twenty autos were stolen by them. Police are investigating to locate the remaining stolen autos.