Khurda: Carrying out probe into the loot of cigarette-laden truck on NH-16 near Ugratara chhak in Tangi of Khurda, a special team of Odisha Police managed to nab two persons from Indore in Madhya Pradesh. The accused have been identified as Amit Chopra and Amit Choudhary of Pitambar Ram Ratan colony of the city. Both the accused are traders.
According to reports, unidentified miscreants had looted the cigarette consignment worth over Rs 1 crore by attacking the driver of the truck on November 4. The miscreants had decamped with the truck and consignment after tying hands and legs of the driver and dumping him in the nearby forest.
Following the incident, a special team under Khurda SP comprising Balugaon SDPO and IIC of Tangi Police station was formed. Acting on a tip-off that a trader in Indore had purchased a huge cache of cigarettes, the special team launched a raid.
Senior police officials informed that 238 cartons of cigarettes and Rs 10 lakh cash has been seized from the two traders. The cash was reportedly collected after the sale of 68 cartons from the stolen consignment.
"The total value of the stolen consignment is worth Rs 1.46 crores and we have recovered cigarette stock worth Rs 1.02 lakhs from the Indore traders," informed Khurda SP Ajay Pratap Swain.
"We have arrested the traders and they will be produced before the court- soon," added Swain.
As stock worth, Rs 30 lakh is yet to be recovered, further investigation to ascertain the involvement of other miscreants is underway, Swain added.