Gonda: In a major breakthrough against vehicle theft, Kotwali Nagar Police in Gonda has busted an organized motorcycle theft gang and arrested three accused persons. Police also recovered five stolen motorcycles along with cash, a mobile phone and materials allegedly used to alter vehicle identities.
The operation was carried out under the direction of Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal, with supervision from Additional Superintendent of Police (East) Ajit Kumar Rajak and Circle Officer (City) Anand Kumar Rai.
According to police officials, the arrested accused have been identified as Durgesh Mishra, son of Jagdish Prasad Mishra; Guddu alias Heta, son of Majeed; and Rupendra Singh alias Raunak, son of Dinesh Singh. All three are residents of different areas of Gonda district.
The arrests were made on June 1 during a checking operation conducted by Guru Nanak Outpost In-charge Sub-Inspector Prashant Kumar Pandey and his team. The suspects were apprehended from a deserted structure near the Sheikhpur Railway Station Road area.
During the operation, police recovered five stolen motorcycles, an iTel keypad mobile phone, ₹2,580 in cash, two paint containers and a paintbrush. A criminal case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the accused have been produced before the court for further legal proceedings.
Modus Operandi Revealed
During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to stealing motorcycles from Gonda and nearby districts. Police said the gang used a systematic method to conceal the identities of stolen vehicles. The accused would either remove the original number plates or paint over them and assign fake registration numbers to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies and vehicle owners.
Investigators revealed that the recovered paint cans and brush were specifically used for altering vehicle registration details. The stolen motorcycles were reportedly hidden in the abandoned structure near Sheikhpur before being sold at low prices for illegal financial gain.
Police said one of the recovered motorcycles has already been linked to a registered vehicle theft case at Kotwali Nagar Police Station. The accused further disclosed that part of the money earned from selling stolen motorcycles had been recovered during the arrests, while the seized mobile phone was allegedly purchased using proceeds from the illegal activity.
Criminal Background of Accused
Police records indicate that Durgesh Mishra has multiple previous cases registered against him, including charges related to theft, possession of stolen property, narcotics offences, forgery, illegal arms possession and provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act. Guddu alias Heta and Rupendra Singh alias Raunak also have previous criminal cases registered against them.
Police Team Commended
The successful operation was carried out by Sub-Inspector Prashant Kumar Pandey, Head Constable Madan Trivedi, Constable Amit Yadav, Reserve Constable Utkarsh Pandey and Reserve Head Constable Praveen Kumar.
Police officials stated that further investigation is underway to identify additional theft cases linked to the gang and to trace any remaining stolen vehicles. Authorities are also examining whether the accused were part of a larger inter-district vehicle theft network.
The recovery is being viewed as a significant achievement in the district police’s ongoing campaign against organized crime and property-related offences.
