Hyderabad: Driver held for car, auto theft
Police said Sai, 25, of Pedda Rayavaram in East Godavari district was involved in six robberies on state highways.
Hyderabad: Abdullapurmet police on Friday arrested a driver hailing from Andhra Pradesh who had a unique way of stealing vehicles. His modus operandi included thumbing a lift from a passing vehicle and later stealing it. Alternatively, hiring a vehicle and later robbing it. The police recovered one car, an autorickshaw and four two-wheelers from the accused, Mandapaka Sai.
Police said Sai, 25, of Pedda Rayavaram in East Godavari district was involved in six robberies on state highways.
“From June, Sai stole four bikes at Rajahmundry and Vijayawada and brought them to the city for sale. Later, while browsing through YouTube, he came across some videos about using pepper spray as self-defence. From there he developed the idea to use chilli powder to commit robberies,” said Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat.
On August 29, Sai hired an autorickshaw at Hayathnagar to go to Autonagar in Vanasthalipuram. When the vehicle reached Batasingaram, Sai directed the driver to an isolated area, where he sprinkled water mixed with chilli powder on the driver’s face and robbed his phone and the vehicle.
“In the recent offence, Sai hired an Uber cab to go to Narkatpally to pick up some material. When the car reached Batasingaram, he used the same method to steal the cab and Rs 1,200 from the driver,” the commissioner said.
Two cases were registered and while efforts were on to trace him, police received information that Sai was moving around in the stolen car at Korlapadu. He was apprehended and questioned, based on which stolen vehicles worth Rs 10 lakh and two phones have been recovered, said the commissioner.