Bhubaneswar, Sept. 16: Police today arrested Manoj Kumar Patra, a 27-year-old conman, who used to steal luxury cars from owners on the pretext of taking them for a test drive. Seven vehicles have been recovered so far.

A native of Nischintakoili in Cuttack district, Patra was picked up from Kalarahang on the city outskirts where he was staying at a rented house.

The vehicles that were seized include three Hyundai Verna and a Chevrolet Cruze.

Police said that the accused used to deceive car owners, who wanted to sell their vehicles, by requesting them for a test drive. When the victim would oblige, Patra used to drive away with the vehicle.

On July 29, he did the same with a city-based businessman Satya Narayan Barik.

The accused had contacted Barik after the businessman posted an advertisement on a website to sell his vehicle. Patra then reached a place in Chandrasekharpur where he was supposed to meet Barik. The conman had gone to meet the businessman in a stolen Honda Amaze.

He left the Honda with Barik following negotiations to gain his confidence and took the latter’s Mahindra XUV for a test drive. However, he never returned.

Two months ago, he stole another car from Saheed Nagar using the same tactics. “Barik let Patra take his car because his driver was there in the vehicle. However, after driving a while, Patra asked the driver to get down as he wanted to purchase medicine. As soon as he stepped out of the vehicle near Master Canteen Square, Patra drove away the vehicle,” said a police official.

The accused was involved in a number of vehicle theft cases in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Puri. He was arrested two years ago on the same charges.

In a similar incident in May this year, an unidentified criminal stole a SUV from a businessman in Khandagiri on the pretext of a test drive. He had contacted Subodh Sahu, 39, after the latter posted an advertisement on a website.

In May last year, police had busted a gang involved in a number of car thefts in the city. The team was led by Rajlaxmi Swain, a 22-year-old con woman. She introduced herself as a software professional, who worked at the Fortune Tower where many government and corporate offices are housed.

In 2011, the police had arrested a schoolgirl on charges of stealing scooties by posing as an executive of an automobile company.