Mira Bhayandar: A man arrested by the crime detection unit attached to the Tulinj police station for his involvement in a case of mobile theft turned out to be a notorious bike-lifter who specialised in stealing Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles.
According to the police, the accused who has been identified as-Shivam Sudhir Jha (26) had stolen three bullet motorcycles in the Virar-Nallasopara belt in less than a fortnight. The police laid a trap and arrested him from Nallasopara on Tuesday.
A resident of Sahakar Nagar area in Virar, Jha had apparently mastered the art of effortlessly breaking the handle lock with a wire and bypassing the standard ignition system to start the motorcycle without a key.
“He specifically targeted Bullet bikes due to the high demand in the resale market which fetched a good price in comparison to other motor-cycles.” said a senior police officer who is privy to the investigations.
The accused who was apparently looking for potential buyers for the stolen bikes when he was caught has confessed to his involvement in three bike lifting cases and a mobile theft committed by him in the Virar-Nallasopara belt.
However, the police suspect his involvement in more similar offences in and around the region. Assistant Police Inspector-Sunil Pawar is conducting further investigations.
The police recovered three motorcycles and a mobile phone collectively valued at Rs 2.50 lakh from the possession of the accused who has been booked under section 303 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft.
