Two-wheeler thefts increase in port city

VISAKHAPATNAM: The port city has become a happy hunting ground for vehicle lifters as evident from the fact that the number of complaints on two-wheeler thefts are on the rise.

Cases of vehicle thefts in the port city have seen a steady increase over the last three years. Police records show that 339 bikes were stolen in 2015 of which the cops recovered only 139 two-wheelers. Bike thefts witnessed an abnormal increase of about 52% in 2016 with the number rising to 517. Of this, cops had managed to detect only 144. This year till March 31, the public lost 149 bikes, of which cops recovered 43. Many bikes could not be traced and the complainants had to avail their insurance.

The rate of solving crimes has been a consistent 27-28% for the last two years while it was 41% in 2015. Cops are working hard to crack multiple gangs and individuals that are operating in the city. Majority of the thieves are youngsters and stealing the vehicles for a quick buck. The cops are regularly identifying the most sensitive areas in the city and planning to upgrade the security levels, crime wing

DCP

T

Ravi Kumar Murthy

told TOI.

After stealing the vehicles, the thieves dismantle the bike and sell the parts or sell the vehicle with fake documents, sources said.

Cops in the crime wing said

bike theft

is increasingly becoming an organised crime with vehicle lifters following a unique modus operandi. They drive the vehicles to far away places where the potential buyers are ready to buy within hours. The vehicles are then sold at throwaway prices.

A senior cop said their investigation into the thefts have revealed the failure of effective locking systems in two wheelers. Apart from the handle lock, people should fix additional locks as a precautionary measure, he added.

Meanwhile, one of the main reason the police are not been able to detect and recover stolen vehicles is change in focus and priority. The focus of the police has been on chain snatching and house breaking crime, in which the cops have been recovering the stolen property on regular intervals.

“We are advising the owners of two wheelers to put wheel locks on bikes to ensure safety of the vehicle. On an average, four to five bikes are stolen daily,” assistant commissioner of police

Anne Narasimha Murthy

said.

Citizens

allege that lack of manned parking lots is another reason that has led to the rise in bike thefts. “People are forced to park their vehicles wherever they find space as there are no specified parking lots,” said two-wheeler owner K Raghav.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.