PANJIM: Panjim police busted two inter-state rackets involving thefts of four-wheelers and smuggling of beef in a luxury passenger bus, and arrested six persons late Wednesday night.
In the first case, Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Pawan Leykar and Pravin Bhise, both from Kolhapur were arrested with a stolen Skoda Yeti car (GA-07 K-8181) and a Hyundai i-10 (GA-07 A-6758).
Briefing the media on the case, deputy superintendent of police Serafin Dias said the gang’s modus operandi was to target individuals who were in need of a driver and flee with the vehicle after being employed.
“The gang would check for newspaper advertisements that sought drivers. These men would manage to get jobs and subsequently flee with the vehicles. The Skoda car was found at Candolim while the i-10 was traced at Kolhapur based on Kuldeep’s disclosure during interrogation,” Dias said in the presence of PI Siddhant Shirodkar. The two thefts occurred within a period of 15 days.
Singh is involved in another criminal offence at Calangute which is currently pending investigation. In February this year, Calangute police had arrested him with a country-made gun and two live cartridges.
In the present case, Panjim police have registered two separate FIRs against the trio taking cognizance of complaints filed by owners of the two vehicles Abdul Razak and Dr Sanjay Khope with the local police station.
In another development, Panjim police cracked down on an interstate beef smuggling racket and arrested three persons identified as Takhat Singh and Dasharat Gujar, both hailing from Madhya Pradesh, and UP native Muzaffar Rehman.
Dias said that the beef – packed in four boxes and weighing 225 kgs – was smuggled in a Mumbai to Goa luxury passenger bus. “Takhat had ordered for the beef and had come to collect the consignment when we arrested him along with the other two,” he said.
