Vehicle Theft Gang Key Member Held; 10 Bikes, Gold Chain Seized
Police said a second accused, Ravula Vinod of Odisha, had earlier been arrested and remanded by Etcherla police in connection with a related theft case.
Visakhapatnam: The Srikakulam district police arrested a key member of a vehicle theft gang operating across multiple police station limits and recovered 10 stolen two-wheelers along with a gold chain.
Tekkali DSP D. Lakshmana Rao said the arrest followed a special investigation into a spate of motorcycle thefts reported in the Tekkali, Kotabommali, Nandigam and Mandasa police station areas in recent months.
The breakthrough came on February 21, 2026, when the accused was intercepted during a routine vehicle check at Jagatimetta junction on National Highway 16. The suspect, Mekala Ganesh, 32, a native of Ganjam district in Odisha, was found riding a scooter and was taken into custody.
Police said a second accused, Ravula Vinod of Odisha, had earlier been arrested and remanded by Etcherla police in connection with a related theft case.
Investigations revealed that the gang allegedly targeted two-wheelers left unattended outside houses, temples, railway stations and along roadsides. The stolen vehicles were reportedly concealed at a dumping yard near NH-16 at Lachchanapeta and later put up for sale.
The DSP said coordinated investigation across four police station limits helped identify and apprehend the accused. In addition to the 10 bikes linked to multiple cases, police also recovered about 8 grams of gold chain connected to a separate theft case registered at Nandigam police station. The accused was remanded to judicial custody.
