Thane Crime: 41-Year-Old IT Professional Arrested For Stealing Auto-Rickshaws To Fund Drug Addiction

Thane: A 41-year-old man who worked at an IT company was arrested for allegedly stealing an auto rickshaw to fulfill his drug addiction in Thane. The accused has been identified as Shabab Husain Sayyed, 41, a resident of Amrut Nagar in Mumbra.

The police said that a complaint was lodged at the Naupada police station indicating that an auto-rickshaw was stolen by unknown persons in the locality. Thereafter, the investigation began.

Mangesh Bhange, a assistant police inspector from the Naupada police station, said, "We were reviewing around 70 to 80 CCTV footage in the vicinity. Based on technical intelligence and local informers, we detained him; he confessed to his crime and was arrested." The police said they confiscated four auto-rickshaws, a motorcycle, and cash amounting to Rs 3,30,000 from the possession of the accused.

The police said that he pursued an M.Com and worked in an IT company as a data entry operator. He also worked as a driver at Dubai's airport. During the preliminary investigation, it was learned that he became addicted because his wife left him a few years ago.

In order to support his addiction, he started stealing vehicles and auto rickshaws. He learned from a online video how to unlock the brake of an auto rickshaw. Later, he started stealing after watching videos online.

The accused allegedly drove an auto rickshaw until it ran out of petrol while ferrying passengers, took the fare, and later left the auto rickshaw. He used to buy drugs with the money he earned from driving it.