Inter-state gang involved in trafficking of drugs & buying stolen SUVs busted

Jaipur: City police crime branch busted an inter-state gang involved in drug trafficking and the purchase of stolen luxury SUVs Monday, arresting five persons, including two brokers and three buyers.

DCP (crime) Kundan Kanwaria said the gang allegedly used stolen high-end cars to transport narcotics from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab and western Rajasthan. He identified the accused as two brokers, Narendra alias Naresh and Sonu Kathat, and three buyers, Jamnalal Jat, Sanjay Singh, and Mukesh.

Kanwaria told TOI that the crime branch recovered two stolen Tata Harrier cars, worth Rs 25 lakh, and a Scorpio used for criminal activities, along with Rs 3.8 lakh in cash. "The vehicles, purchased for as little as Rs 4 lakh from thieves, were reportedly deployed to evade police scrutiny while smuggling drugs across state borders because these are high-power vehicles and run at a fast speed," he said.

He said a complainant, native of Jammu and Kashmir residing in Ajmer, filed an FIR stating that his SUV, a Tata Harrier, was stolen from outside Central Jaipur Hotel on April 9. The FIR was filed at the Vidhayakpuri police station.

The police teams scanned CCTVs and examined other evidence to track down suspects involved in the case. "Investigations revealed that the accused sourced stolen luxury vehicles through brokers, altered identification details, and used them to ferry narcotics," Kanwaria said, adding that the gang used stolen vehicles to create a seamless supply chain. He added that the crime branch was probing links to vehicle theft rings in Rajasthan and drug cartels in MP. The Scorpio's ownership history and cash trail are under scrutiny.

Sources in the city police said drug traffickers are increasingly forging connections with vehicle lifters to buy new and high-end SUVs at throwaway prices, which can eventually be used for drug trafficking.