Pune: In a significant breakthrough, the rural police have arrested a notorious car thief involved in a large-scale racket where stolen vehicles from Maharashtra were being sent to Tamil Nadu, dismantled, and sold as spare parts. Two stolen cars worth ₹11 lakh were recovered from the accused, Nadeem Daud Sheikh.

Nadeem (32), originally from Buldhana but currently residing in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, has been involved in 11 car theft cases registered across districts including Ahmednagar, Pune Rural, Jalgaon, Jalna, and Buldhana.

In the past year, the local crime branch had recovered four vehicles stolen by Nadeem from Tamil Nadu, highlighting a well-organized operation targeting high-value cars.

The recent breakthrough came after a white Maruti Suzuki Ertiga was stolen from Shirur on August 26. Following a complaint filed by the car owner, Yogesh Ananda Gund, the local crime branch conducted an in-depth investigation.

CCTV footage revealed the stolen car heading towards Ahmednagar, leading the police to suspect Nadeem’s involvement. Acting on a tip-off, the police apprehended Nadeem in Deulgaon Raja.

During questioning, Nadeem confessed to stealing the cars from Shirur and Sangamner. He revealed that he used an OBD Star electronic device and duplicate keys to gain access to the vehicles.

Nadeem, along with his accomplices Vishal Jadhav and Kishor Pawar, would break into the cars using a sophisticated method involving year-specific key models and hacking the car’s system.

Nadeem’s operations were highly organized, targeting cars to be sent to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for sale or dismantling into parts. The police have seized the OBD Star device, duplicate keys, drill machines, and other equipment used in the thefts.

The successful operation was led by Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional Superintendent Ramesh Chopde, and Deputy Superintendent Prashant Dhole, with key contributions from local crime branch officers.