Police recover stolen goods in Kujang village after a joint operation with locals

Police recovered stolen property from Hasina village under Kujang police station in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district on Monday following a joint operation carried out with the support of local residents. The action was initiated after repeated complaints of theft were reported from the village.

Acting on inputs provided by villagers, police teams conducted searches at the houses of suspected thieves and recovered several stolen items, including batteries, electric lights, mobile phones and LPG cylinders. A vehicle was arranged to transport the recovered articles, which were seized and taken away by the police.

Officials said the operation was launched after residents reported a series of theft incidents affecting multiple households over the past few days. The continued thefts had created fear and unrest among villagers, prompting them to approach the police for immediate intervention.

Complaints Led To Action

According to sources, villagers had lodged formal complaints after the thefts continued unabated. Based on the information gathered, police identified suspects and carried out a search operation in the village on Monday morning. “The thefts had been going on for nearly a month. Today, we decided enough was enough,” a local resident said.

Another villager alleged that some youths in the area had developed an addiction to narcotic substances and were resorting to theft due to unemployment and lack of income. “With no jobs or means of livelihood, they are stealing from their own village,” the resident alleged.

Search Operation Continues

Following the recovery of the stolen items, police received information that the suspects had fled and were hiding in a nearby forest. A search operation was subsequently launched, and police teams moved into the forested area to trace and apprehend those involved.

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Police officials said further action will be taken based on the outcome of the search operation. Investigations are underway to identify all accused persons and to verify whether similar theft incidents have taken place in neighbouring areas.