Delhi auto thief had plastic surgery to dodge cops; nabbed after 4 yrs

New Delhi: Police claimed to have arrested a 35-year-old auto-lifter, who had undergone plastic surgery to his face to dodge police, and his two accomplices in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji.

Police got a tip-off that Kunal alias Tanuj would visit Kalkaji on October 13, the police said, adding that a trap was laid near Nehru Place Metro Station and he was arrested.

Subsequently, police arrested his aides Irshad Ali and Mohd. Shadab.

Kunal had undergone plastic surgery to his face in 2012-13 to evade arrest, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Romil Baaniya said, adding that earlier his name was registered as Tanuj in police records.

He was involved in more than 62 cases of auto-lifting in different areas in Delhi and neighbouring states, the police said.

Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, the police said the gang members would locate vehicles that were declared as "total loss vehicles" by insurance companies and buy these, along with their registration documents, through scrap dealers.

While the "total loss vehicles" are disposed of as scrap, the documents are retained.

The gang members would then target vehicles of the same make and colour and steal them. They alter the original engine numbers and chassis numbers of the stolen vehicles and sold them along with the registration documents of "total loss vehicles", the police said.