Visakhapatnam on Alert!! Bikes Stolen Before You Know.

What is happening in Visakhapatnam??

A peaceful city, Vizag is now on high alert after a mercurial rise in crime statistics. The number of bike thefts happening here is on the rise. Things have come to a very sorry pass indeed. The complaints with the police are mounting and since March this year a steep rise in this number is witnessed. Between, 2015 to 2016 thefts have increased by 52%. While 339 bikes were stolen in 2015 and 517 in 2016, 240 have already been stolen in 2017.

What are the target areas?

Shopping Malls, Hospitals and Illegal parking spots are the worst hit.

Two persons recently nabbed by the Police for two separate incidents here have revealed their modus operandi. In the target areas, the culprits roam around on the lookout for bikes and their easiest steals were those that are parked on the road sides. Next time if you are tempted to give the parking lot a miss and take a chance to park right on the road, beware. 28 vehicles were picked up from outside malls and hospitals alone.

People visiting hospitals in Visakhapatnam are the worst hit. Usually in a hurry, visitors are distracted and are busy tending to their family and friends. Further one usually gets detained at hospitals in the waiting rooms or for tests and there is vast scope for the sleuths to steal, unnoticed. Busy areas don’t draw attention and illegal parking spots which have nobody on watch are precarious areas as per the crime statistics.

A former security guard at a showroom, one accused Sambana Satibahu stole 20 bike himself. His targets were the 100 minor and major hospitals in and around King George hospital.

What do they do with it?

Sell them in scrap yards at throwaway prices in the neighbouring districts or dismantled and parts sold separately.

An escape route is the Maoist infested districts surrounding Vizag that make it hard for the cops to trace. Ragulavalasa, one arrested for bike robbery reveals the market for disposal.

Pleasure bike thieves among the young.

A further nuisance that has come to light is the stealing of pleasure bikes by youngsters. Picking up bikes just for fun and discarding them with empty fuel tanks is as troublesome as is happening in Vizag. High-end bikes, not afforded by many are the targets here. Stealing for fun, accounts for as high as 35% of bike robberies.

Hope for recovery is really low with gangs becoming more professional of late and the porous border close to Visakhapatnam that makes getting rid of the stolen vehicle easy.

Word to the wise –

• Park in designated parking lots only.
• Don’t leave vehicle unattended.
• Protect your costly rides before you show off.
• Mulitiple locking seems to be a good idea.
• Keep target areas in mind and beware.

Yo!Vizag hopes this unfortunate trend ends sooner rather than later and the peace of our calm, port city restored. Meanwhile start looking out and be alert.