"It was also observed that the accused hardly take a few seconds to open and start the targeted car and steal it within 5-7 minutes," DCP Dwarka, Ankit Singh saidCars parked near parks and gyms, stolen within a few minutes, before the crack of dawn — a similar pattern in thefts of over two dozen vehicles from across Delhi-NCR within a few months was observed during a week-long operation that involved scanning footage from over 200 CCTV cameras, said police. Officers then zeroed in on a gang and busted three members — all from the same family. They have been identified as Raman, the kingpin; his son Sagar; and Raman’s son-in-law Neeraj, police said on Saturday.“The team studied the pattern of the incidents of theft, the time of theft, and CCTV footage of various cases. It was revealed that the accused mostly operated in the early hours of the day. They were targeting mostly three types of vehicles, mainly the Maruti Brezza, which were found near parks as well as gyms. It was also observed that the accused hardly take a few seconds to open and start the targeted car and steal it within 5-7 minutes,” DCP Dwarka, Ankit Singh said.“The kingpin revealed that to avoid being ratted out by unknown associates, Raman formed a gang of his own and included his son and son-in-law…The accused disclosed a unique modus operandi to steal the cars through OBD (On Board Diagnostic). All modern cars have an onboard diagnostic port that authorises bonafide technicians to access the vehicle’s mainframe and check for errors in the vehicle’s electronics, engine, and other systems. They would use sophisticated tools to disengage the security system and steal the car,” added DCP Singh.While tracking the CCTV footage of the robberies, police discovered that on most occasions, the stolen cars would be trailed by a Wagon R moments before the theft.On May 28, acting on a tip-off, the team intercepted the car near West Delhi’s Uttam Nagar. The car, which had a fake number plate, was being driven by Raman and his son Sagar, said police.Upon inspection, the car was found to be stolen, as per an e-FIR registered on March 20 at Keshav Puram police station. A comprehensive toolkit used for disabling vehicle security systems and stealing cars was recovered from the vehicle, as well.Subsequent questioning led to the arrest of Neeraj who also allegedly played an active role in the gang, said officers.Story continues below this adOn checking the trio’s records, police found that Raman had been involved in 18 similar cases, while Sagar was involved in 12 similar cases, and Neeraj in 14 similar cases in Delhi alone.During their questioning, they also pointed the police towards a car they had stolen in Tilak Nagar and stowed it away in Dwarka. They also subsequently pointed the police towards another stolen car from Dwarka, which was in their possession. According to the police, the father-son trio was estimated to have stolen 20-25 cars in the last 10 monthsStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Delhi Policevehicles