Coimbatore police arrested a gang involved in stealing cars from Kerala, changing their appearance, and extorting money from owners. The operation spanned multiple districts in Tamil Nadu, with arrests made between June 28 and July 7, 2024.
Coimbatore: The Coimbatore Selvapuram police have uncovered and arrested members of a sophisticated car theft and extortion gang operating across Tamil Nadu. The gang, comprising individuals from Kerala and Coimbatore, had been involved in a series of well-planned vehicle thefts and subsequent extortion schemes.
The case came to light when K.H. Nawaz from Thrissur, Kerala, filed a complaint at the Selvapuram police station on June 22, 2024.
He reported that three cars - a red Maruti Brezza (KQ 45 X 5136), a white Maruti Baleno (KL 17R 7912), and a red Mahindra Thar (KL 47 K 7006) - were stolen on March 20, 2024, while his family was visiting tourist spots in Coimbatore.
Following the complaint, the police launched an investigation that revealed a complex operation involving two groups - one from Kerala and another from Coimbatore. On June 28, 2024, four individuals from Karumbukadai - Muhammed Yasir, Asaruddin, Muhammed Yusuf, and John Sundar - were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Subsequently, another suspect named Abbas was apprehended.
The investigation uncovered that the gang would rent luxury cars from owners in Kerala without their knowledge of the intended criminal use. These vehicles were then brought to Coimbatore and mortgaged to Riyasuddin and Thoufiq in Karumbukadai. The criminals would disable the original GPS devices, remove number plates, repaint the vehicles, and install new GPS systems to avoid detection.
Using a mobile app called TB Track, the gang monitored the movement of the sold cars. They would then contact the original owners, claiming to know the location of their "missing" vehicles. The gang would lure the owners to meet them and then extort money in exchange for information about the car's whereabouts.
On July 1, 2024, Abbas was arrested, followed by the apprehension of Riyasuddin (alias Riyas) and Muhammed Wahab (alias Thoufiq) from Karumbukadai on July 7, 2024. The three stolen cars reported in March were recovered near Sivalaya Junction within the Selvapuram police station limits.
As of July 9, the Coimbatore police have formed a special team to track down and arrest the remaining gang members from Kerala who are still at large. The investigation is ongoing, revealing the extent of this inter-state vehicle theft and extortion racket.
The case came to light when K.H. Nawaz from Thrissur, Kerala, filed a complaint at the Selvapuram police station on June 22, 2024.
He reported that three cars - a red Maruti Brezza (KQ 45 X 5136), a white Maruti Baleno (KL 17R 7912), and a red Mahindra Thar (KL 47 K 7006) - were stolen on March 20, 2024, while his family was visiting tourist spots in Coimbatore.
Following the complaint, the police launched an investigation that revealed a complex operation involving two groups - one from Kerala and another from Coimbatore. On June 28, 2024, four individuals from Karumbukadai - Muhammed Yasir, Asaruddin, Muhammed Yusuf, and John Sundar - were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Subsequently, another suspect named Abbas was apprehended.
The investigation uncovered that the gang would rent luxury cars from owners in Kerala without their knowledge of the intended criminal use. These vehicles were then brought to Coimbatore and mortgaged to Riyasuddin and Thoufiq in Karumbukadai. The criminals would disable the original GPS devices, remove number plates, repaint the vehicles, and install new GPS systems to avoid detection.
Using a mobile app called TB Track, the gang monitored the movement of the sold cars. They would then contact the original owners, claiming to know the location of their "missing" vehicles. The gang would lure the owners to meet them and then extort money in exchange for information about the car's whereabouts.
On July 1, 2024, Abbas was arrested, followed by the apprehension of Riyasuddin (alias Riyas) and Muhammed Wahab (alias Thoufiq) from Karumbukadai on July 7, 2024. The three stolen cars reported in March were recovered near Sivalaya Junction within the Selvapuram police station limits.
As of July 9, the Coimbatore police have formed a special team to track down and arrest the remaining gang members from Kerala who are still at large. The investigation is ongoing, revealing the extent of this inter-state vehicle theft and extortion racket.