UP: Barabanki cops put brake on gang’s carlifting spree, arrest mastermind

LUCKNOW: Barabanki police claimed to have busted a gang of car thieves operating mainly in Lucknow and Barabanki with the arrest of one Prashant Shukla.
Police officials said that Prashant had stolen as many as six mid-size cars in Barabanki and Lucknow. The stolen cars were even sold in Nepal.
A massive manhunt has been launched for the other members of the gang.
Police initiated the probe after one Rohit Prasad of Kotwali Nagar police station area in Barabanki lodged a complaint of his car being stolen from outside his house.
Superintendent of police, Barabanki, Yamuna Prasad said, “Acting on a tip-off, our team arrested the accused Prashant Shukla and seized three stolen mid-size cars from his possession.”
“During interrogation, Prashant revealed that he used to break the lock of the cars usually parked on the roadside or not in the parking lots. He also smashed the steering lock of the cars and took them to Sitapur where his aide Naushad Ali, a mechanic, used to change the chassis number, engine number of the vehicle. The car was then sold or else its valuable parts were taken out and fitted in another car,” said Prasad.
Another police officer said the gang had a well-oiled machinery for stealing and disposing of the cars.
“Members of the gang were entrusted specific tasks like recce of targets, checking the security arrangements in the area, including installation and placement of CCTV cameras, besides confirming the security features of the target car. If a car was automatic, or had enhanced security features, then the gang did not even attempt stealing it. The gang picked safe spots and vehicles with normal security features for stealing,” said the officer.