Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Crack Major Bike Theft Racket, 40 Motorcycles Worth ₹21.66 Lakh Recovered

Pimpri-Chinchwad Police bust a major bike theft racket, arrest two accused, seize 40 stolen motorcycles worth ₹21.66 lakh, and solve 34 theft cases across Pune region.

Pune | 12 March, 2026: Pimpri-Chinchwad Police have busted a major motorcycle theft racket and recovered 40 stolen two-wheelers valued at around ₹21.66 lakh, providing a major breakthrough in several vehicle theft cases reported across the Pune region. The operation led to the arrest of two accused and helped investigators solve 34 motorcycle theft cases registered in different police stations across Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and nearby districts. Officials said the crackdown is one of the significant recoveries in recent months and is expected to bring relief to many vehicle owners whose bikes had been stolen.

The main accused has been identified as Ashpak Ishak Pathan (32), a resident of Pathardi in Ahilyanagar district. Police detained him from the Balewadi area while investigating a motorcycle theft case registered at Bavdhan Police Station. During questioning, Pathan reportedly admitted to stealing multiple motorcycles from various parts of Pune and nearby areas. Based on the information provided during the interrogation, police later arrested Mukund Udhavrao Hardas (25), a resident of Partur in Jalna district. Hardas is believed to have assisted in disposing of the stolen motorcycles by selling them to buyers.

According to investigators, the accused primarily targeted popular commuter motorcycles, especially models that have high resale demand in the second-hand market. The motorcycles were typically stolen from parking areas, residential societies, roadside parking spaces, and public locations where security was limited. After stealing the bikes, the accused would keep them hidden in remote locations for some time before arranging buyers through informal networks.

To make the sale appear legitimate, the accused allegedly told buyers that the motorcycles were repossessed by finance companies from individuals who had defaulted on their loan repayments. This false explanation helped them sell the vehicles at lower prices without raising immediate suspicion among buyers. Police said this tactic allowed the accused to continue the illegal activity across different areas for an extended period.

Investigators also found that the main accused has a criminal history, with more than ten previous vehicle theft cases registered against him. Police teams tracked his movements using extensive CCTV footage collected from several locations in Pune. After analysing recordings from dozens of cameras and monitoring suspicious activity patterns, officers were able to identify the suspect and eventually detain him.

The recovery of the motorcycles helped police solve 34 theft cases registered across several police jurisdictions including Bavdhan, Dehu Road, Chikhali, Nigdi, Hinjewadi, Chandan Nagar, Kharadi, Loni Kalbhor, Wagholi, Shikrapur, Kalepadal, Ranjangaon and Baner. Some cases were also linked to theft incidents reported in districts such as Jalna and Parbhani, indicating that the theft network operated across district boundaries.

Police officials said the successful operation was the result of coordinated investigation and field surveillance carried out by the Crime Branch Unit-2 team under the supervision of senior officers. The team included several officers who worked for days tracing the suspects, verifying leads, and identifying locations where the stolen motorcycles were hidden.

Vehicle theft has been a recurring concern in the rapidly growing Pune metropolitan region, where two-wheelers remain the most commonly used mode of daily transport. Authorities say better CCTV surveillance, stronger parking security, and public awareness are essential to reduce such crimes in the future.

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