The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has handed over 56 stolen motorcycles to their rightful owners since the government imposed a nationwide coronavirus lockdown on March 24. 

On Monday alone, the division handed over two dozen motorcycles to their respective owners.

According to the division, the motorcycles that were handed over on Monday afternoon had been stolen from places like Balaju, Basundhara, Mandikatar, Nayabazar, Thamel, Saraswatinagar, Samakhusi and Thamel.

Superintendent of Police Bam Dev Gautam, spokesperson for the division said, they have a victim special unit that deals with vehicle theft cases and 90 complaints of motorcycle theft had been reported so far during the coronavirus lockdown.

“We had deployed plainclothes personnel during lockdown to investigate the vehicle theft cases,” said Gautam.

“Many vehicles were found abandoned in different places, as the lockdown had kept the thieves from taking the vehicles to rural areas where most of the stolen motorcycles end up,” said Gautam.

According to the division, finding a stolen two-wheeler is difficult compared to other vehicles. Gautam said stolen motorcycles and scooters are recovered during regular traffic checks for licence and vehicle registration.

“During the checking, if we find someone without documents, we stop them and ask to bring valid documents. Some of them never show up and it turns out to be stolen vehicle cases,” said Gautam.

An officer at the division said most of the people who are involved in vehicle theft are old-timers.

“In most cases of auto theft, there is an involvement of repeat offenders. Once a person convicted of auto theft is out of jail, there is a high chance of them going back to their old ways,” said the officer at the Victim Support Unit of the division.

According to the officer, hospitals, cinema hall premises and busy markets are the places where most of the vehicle theft cases are recorded.

“Almost all two-wheelers lifted from the city are sold in rural areas where the presence of law enforcement officials is low. Racketeers are found selling a stolen bike for Rs 50,000 to Rs 150,000, depending on the vehicle’s condition,” he added.

The unit from time to time visits rural areas to intercept stolen bikes, he said.

According to the data of division, the number of vehicle thefts is rising every year; however, the recovery rate of stolen vehicles and the arrest rate are very low.

In the fiscal year 2016-17, the division recorded 1,030 cases of vehicle theft. Police recovered only 168 of those stolen vehicles and arrested 15 people.

In the following fiscal year 2017-18, the number of vehicle theft cases stood at 1,385. Police recovered only 251 of those vehicles and managed to arrest only 17 people.

Similarly, in the fiscal year 2018-19, there were 1,611 incidents of vehicle theft; 189 vehicles were recovered and 81 people were arrested.