On the night of December 4, a pearl white Toyota Fortuner (KA03 AE4825) worth Rs 22 lakh was allegedly stolen in Sector 1. Thanks to a hidden, inbuilt GPS, the sports utility vehicle was traced to Rajasthan near the India-Pakistan border. The cops and the car rental company officials gave chase in two instances, but the thieves outsmarted them. Later, they allegedly disconnected the GPS in the car and the car trail is dead ever since. Orix Infrastructure, the car rental firm, has filed a case of theft with the HSR cops. The accused Roshan Khan faces two allegations: criminal breach of trust (IPC 406) and cheating (IPC 420).

Car stolen in HSR Layout used for drug trafficking in Rajasthan 1

This was the fourth theft attempt of this very car that was successful. It was stolen last year but was recovered through GPS in Rajasthan again. Apparently, the thieves had covered the car in a haystack. But the GPS fitted surreptitiously inside the car gave them away – the thieves were not table to remove or detect the GPS. This time, however, the recovery team comprising the cops and the car rental company officials had to face defeat. And how? Read on for this fascinating car chase that transcended states.

HOW THEY TRACKED THE CAR

Since the company was renting self-drive cars, the accused comes at 1am after booking the car online. He was given all the documents pertaining to the car on December 4. He was supposed to return the car on December 6. The self drive car officials of Orix Infrastructure tracked their vehicle for two days when the customer did not return it at the designated time in HSR Layout. They found the Fortuner being used by some folks in Rajasthan through the hidden GPS inside the stolen car. The team even came close to catching the culprits near the dry bed of a river. But the filmy style chase ended up in the thieves’ favour. The self-drive officials were in a Dzire while the cops were in their jeep. However, only the thieves in the stolen Fortuner could make it past the dry bed of Luni river, thanks to its powerful 4-wheel drive capability, while the Dzire and the jeep folks were left stranded at the shore – their vehicles were stuck in the sand. The local cops in Rajasthan are guessing that the vehicle contained a major drug haul. If not, they would have easily abandoned the vehicle and left, according to them.

PREVIOUS TWO THEFT ATTEMPTS

In the other two instances, luck was on the side of the car rental firm. In the first instance, a customer ordered for the Fortuner at the Bangalore airport. However, the self-drive official who came to drop off the car found the customer to be shabbily dressed and not worthy of a Fortuner. In the next instance, the customer’s date of birth did not match with his driving licence, Aadhaar and voter ID. However, in the latest case of HSR Layout, the customer was well dressed and even spoke at length to the staff, leaving no room for doubt. Even the people who were found using the car in Rajasthan did not bear any resemblance to the person who took it in HSR Layout. According to our sources, the accused Roshan Khan must have sold the car to the drug traffickers for a measly Rs 2-2.5 lakh. Our sources also tell us that most cars stolen by drug traffickers in Bangalore go to Rajasthan, Nagaland and Kerala.

THE WAY FORWARD FOR CAR RENTAL FIRMS

These thefts have left the self-drive companies across India in a state of dilemma. However, the business has to go on and they are taking their chances with GPS fitments. But even that can be found out once a trained is able to check the trail of the power supply cables. So the companies are insisting on local address proofs or contact numbers.

However, when an outstation person orders for a rental online, they have to give them on face value. In the HSR incident, by just paying Rs 20,000 for a four-day trip, the customer made away with a car worth Rs 22.5 lakh. Orix Infrastructure had learnt one lesson from all these car chases. They have stopped renting a Fortuner for good. Orix was the only company renting Fortuners in Bangalore. Now, The drug peddlers will have to target an Innova instead.

HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOUR CAR SAFE?

If you own a Fortuner, Innova or Mahindra XUV, chances of theft by drug peddlers are high. However, for general car thieves any vehicle can be a target. “Stealing a car with manual lock is more difficult than a computer-controlled car,” says our source. “The government is mulling over pasting embosed stickers containing the registration numbers on the vehicle’s engine, chassis and other parts, and such stickers will be impossible to remove.”

However, while the Punjab police has already implemented this, the Karnataka state government is still sitting on the idea since November 2014. This has been the case with several states across the country. However, things will change from January next year as the union transport ministry has made it mandatory for all manufacturers to fit all new vehicles with tamper-proof, high security registration plates (HSRP). These will have a self-destructive, tamper-proof sticker containing the engine and chassis number of the vehicle.

Another tip to prevent thieves from disconnecting your car’s GPS is to avoid fixing the GPS to the dashboard or even announcing it through a sticker that says, ‘GPS inside’. That will alert the thieves and they will get it removed first before attempting to sell or relocate it. Another far more efficient way for people managing a fleet of cars for rental purposes or personal use can opt for magnetic GPS trackers as the battery lasts for 25 days.

The other problem with car and bike thefts is that the offence is bailable. Within 15 days, the culprit is out of jail and back to do what he or she does best: steal. Therefore, sources tell us that only a non-bailable offence against thieves can prevent more thefts from happening.

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