New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) A 45-year-old man was arrested in north Delhi's Sadar Bazar area for allegedly stealing auto-rickshaws and using it for commercial passenger service, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused is a history-sheeter with over a dozen previous cases registered against him, they said.

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The accused, identified as Mohammad Afzal, was caught during a routine evening picket checking near Motia Khan Chowk on May 10, an official said.

Afzal was driving an auto-rickshaw without a registration number plate when the police stopped him for questioning, he added.

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“The auto was verified through the ZIPNet database and found to be stolen. It had been reported missing on May 9 from Eidgah Road in Sadar Bazar,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North, Raja Banthia.

He was immediately arrested under relevant sections of law and the stolen vehicle was seized, the DCP added.

Afzal revealed during interrogation that he has been involved in motor vehicle thefts for over three decades, primarily targeting auto rickshaws, police said.

He used to carry a bunch of duplicate keys to steal the vehicles, remove their number plates and then use them for ferrying passengers, earning money until abandoning the vehicle and stealing another, they said.

"He confessed that after using the stolen vehicle for a few months, he would dump it in a secluded location and move on to steal another auto using the same modus operandi," the officer said.

Afzal is a known offender and a registered history-sheeter at the Kalyan Puri Police Station, police said.

He has been previously involved in at least 11 cases of motor vehicle theft across Delhi, including cases at Connaught Place, Inderpuri, Jyoti Nagar, Mayur Vihar, Anand Vihar, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi Railway Station and Welcome Police Station dating back to 1996, they said.

Further investigation is underway to trace more stolen vehicles and possible accomplices, police said.

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