Bengaluru: Vehicle thief uses OLX to 'drive away' with his bounty

Bengaluru: There has been a rise in two and four wheeler thefts in the city and vehicles parked on the roadside are the prime targets. Also in the past, a few crimes have been reported by the users of online marketplaces and that is why everyone should use it with caution. But on Saturday Kalasipalya Police, Bengaluru has caught a thief who has been stealing from the sellers on OLX.

The accused identified as Bharat BM, aged 24, a resident of Channasandra, Bengaluru for stealing a Toyota Fortuner from JC Road and three bikes worth 22 lakhs. The reports say Bharath was utilizing OLX as a safe tool for his theft.

"Even parking outside the house in residential areas is risky because there is no one to monitor the vehicles. But Bharath is different. He made OLX as his weapon. Earlier, we had a case that they used to ask for a test ride from the sellers on OLX and used to take off the cars from the spot to never return. But Bharath uses duplicate keys to steal," a senior police official said.

According to police reports, Bharath gets contact numbers of advertisers in OLX to purchase a vehicle for a test drive and later would return duplicate keys and steal them. He also used random phone numbers to contact the vehicle owners.