TOI

Bangalore, Aug 7: Bangalore city police have uncovered a major racket in theft of vehicles, including tipper lorries and cars, following the arrest of its  kingpin and seized vehicles worth Rs 1.53 crore from him.

After police traced his inter-state connections and his flourishing trade in sale of stolen vehicles, Sheikh Mohammed Rafiq alias Road Rafiq (58), who has escaped police custody several times in the last 20 years, was booked under the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA).

The arrested, who had been running the racket aided by a larger network of gangs in several parts of the country, had sold stolen vehicles with fabricated documents, police said.

Police suspect the involvement of private financiers, used car dealers and RTO officials with the accused.

Though Rafiq had been arrested several times earlier and even been jailed, he used to secure bail citing health reasons and escape, police said.