Nagpur: In a major crackdown, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Nagpur Police’s Crime Branch has dismantled an inter-state gang involved in stealing and re-registering trucks using fraudulent means. Five transporters have been arrested, and 16 stolen trucks have been seized in the operation.
The accused, reportedly active for over a decade, orchestrated a sophisticated scam in which stolen trucks were modified with altered chassis and engine numbers before being re-registered in different states. These vehicles were later sold with fraudulent documents, causing significant financial losses to banks and unsuspecting buyers.
The accused and their modus operandi
Gold Rate
24 April 2025
The arrested individuals have been identified as: Mohammad Sohail Mohammad Shabir (28) – Sanjay Nagar, Bengali Colony, Kamptee, Mohsin alias Raja Khan Azim Khan (34) – Lava, Wadi, Nagpur, Irfan Ayub Khan (42) – Gitanjali Chowk, Central Avenue, Nagpur, Rizwan Ayub Khan (32) – Vrindavan Nagar, Hasanbagh, Nagpur, and Zoheb Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh (28) – Smriti Nagar, Koradi, Nagpur.
Investigators revealed that the gang primarily targeted trucks from states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Nagaland. These vehicles were first stolen, rebranded with new identities, and then re-registered in different states with the alleged assistance of certain RTO officials.
According to police, the accused exploited legal loopholes to orchestrate their scheme:
• Stolen trucks were moved to Nagpur and assigned fake chassis and engine numbers.
• Fraudulent theft complaints were filed at local police stations to erase the vehicle’s past records.
• The vehicles were then transported to Nagaland for re-registration with falsified documents.
•Once re-registered, the gang repurchased the trucks under a new identity and brought them back to Nagpur for resale.
The racket not only led to losses worth crores but also affected financial institutions, as many of the stolen trucks were under bank loans.
In a similar case last year, Navi Mumbai police had arrested an agent from Nagpur for his role in a scam in which fake documents of Nagaland RTO were being altered, modified, re-registered in the local transport office.
Police investigation and breakthrough
The case had initially hit a dead end due to procedural lapses by the earlier investigating team. However, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Dr. Ravinder Singal, Joint CP Nisar Tamboli, DCP Rahul Maknikar, and ACP Dr. Abhijeet Patil, the SIT cracked the case, leading to the arrests and seizure of multiple trucks.
Authorities are now probing the extent of involvement of RTO officials and other potential beneficiaries of the scam. With investigations still ongoing, more arrests are likely in the coming days.
