The Agripada police recently busted a car rental ponzi scam and arrested six members of the gang.
What was the scam?
Over 100 luxury cars from Mumbai were hired fraudulently, driven down to several states across the country and sold there. The police have recovered 35 such cars from Khargone in Madhya Pradesh.
Who did it and how?
Inspector Raghunath Mahale said kingpin Ifran Mansuri, a Std XII pass and Nagpada resident, had floated a bogus car rental company called Car Kings Tours and Travels a year back. "Mansuri had put up an advertisement online and publicised his car rental business, with attractive returns, through his agents. He promised Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 per month to the car owners if they provided their vehicles for his business. Mansuri also used to make an 11-month agreement with his clients to gain access to their car documents," said Mahale.
How did the mastermind take the cars out of the city?
The police received over 60 complaints against Mansuri within a few months. They first picked up his agents and questioned them about his operations. "The agents told us Mansuri used to sell the vehicles in Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Kerala and UP. He had a dedicated team of drivers who would ferry the cars to these states daily. Mansuri prepared bogus documents so that buyers would be unaware that the vehicles were stolen," Mahale said.
How did the police bust the gang?
The police prepared a team of three officers, 50 constables and over a dozen complainants to trace the accused. "We have arrested six people, including Mansuri. Of the 100 vehicles sold, we have recovered 35 from Khargone in MP," said sub-inspector Shailesh Suryavanshi.
Victimspeak
"I had given my car on rent to Mansuri this April. He had promised me Rs24,000 per month with an 11-month agreement. After paying for the first two months, he started defaulting. Later, I learnt that he had sold my car and wrapped up his operations. I then approached the police," said one Rajendra Gurav, 33, a resident of Dadar (East), and an electrical engineer by profession.
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