Cracking down on vehicle theft : Well established network
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 31 2015 -

It may not be as acute as in the metros of the country.

But it is a truism that vehicle theft in Manipur, particularly in Imphal and the valley districts is acute and this is extremely worrying.

Statistics on vehicle thefts may be hard to come by, in the absence of any scientific studies conducted so far, but this should be no reason to take things easy.

The report that the police were able to recover ten stolen vehicles from two areas on October 29 is more than an indicator that vehicle theft as a ‘vocation’ is indeed thriving here.

This is what is worrying and there seems to be a well established network of these lifters, suggesting that they may have connections in high places.

From cycles to motorised two wheelers to now cars and luxury vehicles, certainly vehicle lifting has come a long way in Imphal.

So it is that from the lone thief roaming the streets of Imphal and other places to take chances with any unattended vehicle or a vehicle which has not been locked properly, today it is more than apparent that the days of the ’lone rangers’ are over and from the single thief prowling the streets and roads, it is about a well established network of lifters and thieves.

How well established is this network is not yet known, but from the reports which have been carried so far, there are inter-State and inter-regional gangs involved in the thefts.

So not surprising to learn that vehicles stolen from Delhi periodically make their way here and vice versa.

The network must have spread to other cities too and while no one will knowingly buy a vehicle that has been stolen, it is a given that the thieves have managed to stay one step ahead of the people and the police.

There may be no foolproof formula to tackle this and this is all the more reason for the people to be on the alert.

Huge money involved. This is the only reason for the network to exist and more than obvious that such a network can exist only with some sort of patronage from the powers that be.

The powers that be could be anyone with influence.

Apart from the need of potential buyers to keep a sharp look out not to be duped, it is also important for everyone to be on their toes.

Investing a little more in the state of the art locking system, coupled with alarms etc can go some way in checking vehicle thefts.

Stringent laws too need to be put in place to impose strict penalties on vehicle thieves. The law enforcing agencies, primarily the police too should put in more efforts to crack the network of thieves.

A car or a two wheeler is something which people buy after careful budgeting for a certain period of time.

All the more reason why the Government need to demonstrate that they are here to protect the properties of the citizens.

Ten stolen vehicles recovered and while the police have done a good job, it should also be clear that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

More efforts need to be put in and yes the people who have been patronising the vehicle lifters and their operations too should be nailed and brought to book.

As pointed out here earlier, these people are sure to be influential and all the more reason to unmask them.