KATHMANDU, JANUARY 12

Police arrested three members of a bike-lifting racket from Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur.

The arrested have been identified as Rajan Lama, 25, of Dhading, Sunil Tamang, 29, of Nuwakot and Pappu Patel, 20, of Parsa.

Tamang and Patel are operators of Bindabasinee Motorcycle Workshop in Suryabinayak. Police officials said they held Lama with a stolen motorcycle during a security checking last week.

After police interrogated Lama, he revealed he had sold another stolen bike to the workshop and police took its operators — Tamang and Patel — into custody with the stolen motorcycle yesterday.

“The motorcycles were stolen from Baneshwor area. Therefore, the members of the bike-lifting racket were handed over to Baneshwor-based Metropolitan Police Circle for further investigation and legal action,” said a police official in Bhaktapur. They are suspected to have been involved in several cases of bike theft in Kathmandu valley.

Earlier this month, Metropolitan Traffic Police Division handed over 22 motorcycles and scooters, which it retrieved from different places of the country, to their respective owners. Police said hospital premises and busy marketplaces were more vulnerable to bike thefts. Police advised bike owners to park their two-wheelers in secure places with handles locked and added security. Intelligent locking system having double lock option could make it difficult for racketeers to lift motorcycles.

Carelessness on the part of bikers is the main cause of the problem despite the fact that they are well-informed about motorcycle theft. Police informed that 12 persons were arrested in connection with bike theft in the past one month. On an average, two motorcycles are reportedly stolen from the valley daily.