Two white Toyota Fortuners, moving through different parts of Delhi, were caught on camera on the same day in April. There was just one problem: both appeared to be the same vehicle, carrying identical registration and chassis numbers. A probe by the Delhi Police’s Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) later found that both SUVs had in fact been stolen — one from Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar in 2019 and the other from Preet Vihar in 2021. One had been sent to Jammu and Kashmir after its identity was allegedly altered to match that of the other. The mix-up went so far that the SUV sent to Jammu and Kashmir was later recovered by the Vasant Kunj Police when they busted a syndicate that allegedly supplied stolen vehicles to other states. It was handed over to the owner of the 2019-stolen vehicle because its registration and chassis numbers matched his vehicle’s records. The actual 2019-stolen SUV, however, was still in Delhi — being driven in Vivek Vihar by 23-year-old Aryan Mavi, who was arrested on August 9 for allegedly using a stolen vehicle despite knowing it had been stolen. A strange match According to police, the matter came to light after photos of the two SUVs were captured by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras on the same day in April. This alert prompted the AATS of the West district police to investigate. A team led by Sub-Inspector Gajender and Head Constable Devender, under the supervision of Inspector Mukesh Meena and DCP Hareshwar Swami, began the probe and checked the forward and backward routes of both vehicles. ANPR cameras can also flag vehicles reported stolen in police records, helping investigators trace their movements. Same RC and chassis number During the investigation, the police team found that the two Fortuners had the same registration certificate (RC) and chassis number, although they were owned by different people. Both owners lived in East Delhi, though in different areas. “The body and the colour was the same, except for two minor differences: one had a red tape on the bonnet and another didn’t have the rear bumper,” an officer said. Police took both SUVs to a Toyota service centre. With help from insurance company officials, police said they established that RC and chassis number of one of them had been altered. “Motor vehicle thieves usually do this to prevent any chance of the vehicle being traced in another state,” the officer said, adding, “It is believed that members of the groups that stole both vehicles might be known to each other.” Police said during questioning, Mavi claimed he knew the vehicle was stolen. He said that his father had bought the vehicle from an acquaintance in Vivek Vihar. Police said when they questioned both owners, it was found that they would occasionally receive challans and service-related messages because both vehicles were carrying the same registration details. Both owners told police that they rarely took their vehicles out, which may explain why the duplicate registration went undetected for so long. Travel agent suspected to be key link According to police, the Fortuner stolen from Gandhi Nagar in 2019 was being used by a travel agent for a tours and travel service. Police suspect he sold the vehicle to Mavi’s father. “We suspect the agent was part of a larger syndicate involved in the sale of stolen vehicles,” a police officer said. Police are now trying to trace and arrest the travel agent, who is suspected to be a common link in the sale of the stolen vehicles and the tampering of their registration and chassis numbers. Police teams are also trying to establish the chain of people involved in stealing and selling the vehicle that was sent to Jammu and Kashmir. Officials from the West district said they have handed over both stolen SUVs to the respective police stations where theft cases were registered for further legal action.
