Car thief nabbed after driving away with SUV from Nissan showroom

Police had no trouble identifying him from a portrait prepared on the basis of information provided by the Nissan showroom staff.

On the evening of December 31, 2013, two employees of the showroom had just washed the SUV, worth Rs 10.69 lakh, and readied it to be handed over to a customer, when a well-dressed Nazeer walked in and drove away with the car.

Four members of the staff, including the two washing boys, saw him flee with the SUV, but could not stop him. They described the thief to the police, who identified him as Nazeer and arrested him from Mico Layout.

They also seized the stolen SUV from him.

Police said Nazeer had parked the stolen SUV near his residence and covered it with a sheet. He had intended to sell the car to a customer from Kerala. “Luckily we caught him before he sold it,” a police officer said.

Police added that Nazeer is a native of Kerala, brought up in Bangalore city. He lived in Bahrain for a few years before returning to India.

Besides making easy money by selling stolen cars, he also worked as a guide and interpreter for tourists from the Middle East, police said. He was involved in car theft cases registered by Mico Layout, Rajajinagar, Ashoka Nagar, Basavanagudi and other police stations.

He also allegedly stole cars from showrooms in Mumbai and Chennai.

The Nissan Terrano, which was stolen from the showroom, has been handed over to the complainant. Nazeer was produced before a court, which remanded him in judicial custody. A further probe into the case is underway.