An Indian national who worked as a policeman in Bahrain for eight years is now accused of stealing 11 high-end cars in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai.

Pillakal Nazeer, 56, police believe, loves cars priced at Rs 15 lakh or more. A resident of New Gurappanapalya, he worked as constable in the West Asian nation on contract basis between 1998 and 2006 before returning to Bengaluru.

Mallesh B, inspector, Madiwala police station, narrated Nazeer’s exploits as he went from one city to another in search of luxury automobiles. He will visit car showrooms as a customer.

Speaking English fluently and dressed impeccably to show that he is rich, he will go for test drives only to never return. In other instances, he bluffed car showroom staff into allowing him into their godowns. Showing his cleverness, he made off with new cars. In some cases, he stole cars parked at service stations.

To evade arrest, he never crossed any toll plaza on the day of the theft. He spent at least three days in villages, changed the car’s number plate and drove into another state. He sold the stolen cars in big cities.

His luck ran out when some of his neighbours — curious about how he was driving a new high-end car every other day — called the police last week. Policemen who arrived at his house were astounded to find a Hyundai luxury car worth Rs 35 lakh there. On their instruction, he submitted documents of the car’s purchase but they turned out to be fake.

Upon further examination, the car’s engine and chassis number were found to be registered with a Hyundai showroom at Thiru Vi Ka Industrial Estate Ekkaduthangal in Chennai. Police contacted the showroom and it emerged that a man had stolen the car from the godown. The inspector said Nazeer’s wife caused a ruckus and tried to prevent the police from arresting him.