Pune: A 21-year-old man who learned how to steal two-wheelers by watching YouTube videos on breaking handle locks has been arrested by the Crime Branch police.

The arrest led to the recovery of 18 stolen two-wheelers valued at ₹8.9 lakh and the solving of 16 vehicle theft cases.

The suspect, identified as Abhishek Mallappa Hawalekar, originally from Shahupuri, Satara, and currently residing in Ambethan, Chakan, moved to Pune after a dispute at home.

While in Pune, Abhishek turned to YouTube to learn how to start two-wheelers and break handle locks. He then began stealing vehicles parked along highways to avoid detection by CCTV cameras.

The investigation into the theft of a bullet and another two-wheeler from a housing society in Baner-Mhalunge, under the jurisdiction of Hinjewadi Police Station, led the police to review footage from 80 CCTV cameras in the area. This led to the arrest of Abhishek's minor accomplice, who admitted to stealing the vehicles with Abhishek.

Abhishek confessed to stealing two-wheelers from various locations, including Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Satara. The police have recovered the stolen vehicles and are continuing their investigation.

Recently, Samarth police had arrested a man for stealing motorcycles from the Pune Station area and selling them in Daund, claiming they were his own. When apprehended by the Samarth police, he confessed to committing the thefts to repay his debts. The police had seized ten stolen motorcycles.

The accused, Arvind Motiram Chavan (39), a resident of Daund, was identified after a Splendor motorcycle theft case was registered at Samarth Police Station on July 26. The investigation team reviewed CCTV footage from 70 to 80 locations to track the suspect.