PESHAWAR, May 17: Police have busted a gang of car-lifters and seized five vehicles said an official statement here on Tuesday. It is learnt that owner of a van had complained to police that his vehicle had been stolen from in front of a fast food outlet on the University Road on Monday.

Responding to the complaint; police sealed the entire city. During the blockade near Sakhi Pul they spotted a vehicle that matched the description given by the complainant and had it stopped.

Qazi Hanifullah, the alleged ringleader of the gang, who had been driving the van, introduced himself as an army major, but police managed to expose the impostor and arrested him. On information provided by him, five people, Najib, Gul Anam, Tajamal and Bahadar, were detained.

They during interrogation told police about the remaining members of the gang, Nigar Hussain, Shah Fazil, Wasif, Munir, Mohammad Hussain and Zainullah, whom police arrested and recovered four stolen vehicles from their possessions.

The official statement said the gang had been active in Peshawar and other districts of the province for the last several months.

The accused also confessed of having stolen more than 100 vehicles from Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gilgit, Chitral, some areas of Sindh and Mardan.

The official statement said Bahadar and Munir had confessed of having stolen 60 and 40 vehicles respectively.

Najib and Gul Anam, who had been released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi recently, also confessed of having stolen six cars and motorbikes each.