By Express News Service
KOCHI: A thief specialising in stealing solely Royal Enfield Bullet bikes. Yes, you heard it proper!
Police on Wednesday arrested a 31-year-old man and his confederate, each Fort Kochi natives, for stealing as many as 11 Bullet bikes, 5 of them from Kochi alone, during the last 2-3 months.
Police stated Shiras alias Siraj would vanish into neighbouring Tamil Nadu earlier than dawn after stealing the bikes. Shiras’s confederate Rishad PS, 32, who carried out the recce earlier than the thefts can also be in police custody.
Shiras had stolen 4 motorbikes from the Fort Kochi space and two bikes from the Mattanchery space in latest months. Following the collection of motorcycle thefts, police had shaped a particular squad to hint the individuals concerned.
Shiras was hiding in Tamil Nadu after being wished by the police in a number of instances in Kerala. He particularly targets Bullet bikes because of excessive demand within the resale market. “He mainly carried out the sale of stolen Bullet motorbikes in Tamil Nadu,” stated VG Ravindranath, assistant commissioner of police, Mattanchery. “From the interrogation, we have found that he has sold 11 stolen Bullets in Tamil Nadu,” he stated.
While 5 bikes had been stolen from Kochi, one other six had been stolen from Salem, Chennai and Bengaluru.
Rishad, the confederate, identifies the bike to be stolen and passes the data to Shiras who arrives from Tamil Nadu on the practice. “He steals ordinary bikes to reach from the railway station to the place spotted by Rishad. He leaves the other bike and steals the Bullet bike. After stealing the Bullet bike, he crosses the Tamil Nadu border via Palakkad before dawn,” stated the assistant commissioner explaining the modus operandi.
Money from the sale of stolen Bullet bikes was used for procuring medication and dwelling an expensive life. Police used CCTV cameras and different modes to establish the accused. “We are coordinating with our counterparts in Tamil Nadu to recover all the 11 stolen Royal Enfield Bullet bikes. It was after several days of effort that we arrested Shiras from Tamil Nadu,” Ravindranath stated.
Shiras was concerned in drug instances registered by the excise division in Kattappana and Palakkad. Apart from this, 11 instances had been registered in opposition to him in varied police stations at West Kochi for snatching and rape. He went absconding after the trial in 9 prison instances began at varied courts.
The accused was produced earlier than the court docket and was remanded to judicial custody. “We will seek custody of the arrested persons. We suspect the involvement of Shiras in more bike theft incidents. We will also have to take him to Tamil Nadu as part of the recovery of the bikes. People who helped Shiras in selling stolen bikes in Tamil Nadu will be traced and arrested,” a police officer stated.