Pune: Four drivers attached to a cab aggregator service stole wheels and tyres worth Rs 10 lakh from as many as 14 pick-up trucks to recover losses incurred from online gaming.However, a team from Ranjangaon police led by senior inspector Mahadev Waghmode arrested them before they could sell the loot. The four carried out the theft in the areas of Shikrapur, Shirur and Ranjangaon over the last few months.The drivers were identified as Akshay Rathod (28) of Avhalwadi, Tushar Damekar (23), Karan Rathod (23), and Sunil Bhosale (25), all from Nanded district and currently residing in Wagholi.“We recovered stolen wheels and tyres and a car used by the gang to transport the tyres, collectively worth Rs 10 lakh,” Waghmode told TOI.The officer said recently, four tyres of a parked pick-up truck were stolen from Karegaon village.“There were a few more similar complaints from Shikrapur and Shirur, as well. Sub-inspector Avinash Thorat and his team checked footage from over 50 CCTV cameras and zeroed in on a car,” he said.The police then took the four drivers into custody from Wagholi.“During questioning, the four of them admitted to stealing the tyres and wheels of the pick-up truck. The accused were addicted to online gaming and suffered losses. They even borrowed money to continue playing. They started stealing wheels and tyres to alleviate losses,” Waghmode said.Police said the accused were targeting pick-up trucks as most of these vehicles were parked along the road.
