PRAYAGRAJ, March 27 -- The special task force (STF) has busted a major truck theft and fake registration racket in Kaushambi, arresting the gang leader late Wednesday night. The operation led to the recovery of stolen vehicles from a yard astonishingly located just 300 meters behind the Kokhraj police station. STF officials confirmed on Thursday that the stolen trucks were being prepared for resale by altering their chassis numbers and creating counterfeit registration documents. The main accused has been apprehended, while a search is underway for two of his associates. The STF Prayagraj unit had received repeated intelligence about a yard in Aliganj village, under Kokhraj police station, where a vehicle resale operation was running. The gang's modus operandi involved reselling vehicles whose financing installments had defaulted after illegally altering their chassis numbers. Trucks stolen from highways were also being modified and sold through this network. Following the intelligence, STF SI Vinay Tiwari led a team to raid the yard on Wednesday. During the operation, the team arrested Qasim Ahmed, a resident of Mariyadih village in Prayagraj. Inspection of the yard led to the recovery of two trucks, 12 fake number plates, and six counterfeit registration papers. During questioning, Qasim allegedly confessed that the gang was actively involved in stealing trucks from various states, altering chassis numbers, and preparing fake registration documents to sell the vehicles at inflated prices across country. He identified his absconding associates as Md Tariq from Meerut and RTO agent Anil Tiwari from Prayagraj. Qasim detailed the gang's process: trucks stolen from other states were hidden in the yard. Tariq would transfer a scrap truck in Qasim's name to obtain a NOC. Anil Tiwari would then prepare the fake registration papers. After RTO verification, original chassis numbers were destroyed, new ones stamped, and the trucks were sold at high prices. Profits, he said, were shared equally among the members. htc...