In a recent operation, Durgapur Police arrested Sagar Akure and Mohamed Raja Khan after seizing around Rs5 lakh worth of stolen scrap iron from a closed iron and steel factory in the city. The Bidhannagar Police Outpost, under the jurisdiction of New Township Police Station, intercepted a pickup van that was carrying the stolen goods, following a tip-off.
The theft took place early this morning, with the police successfully recovering the scrap iron that had been illegally loaded into the vehicle. The iron scrap was seized near Muchipara, and the two accused were promptly arrested for theft.
This arrest follows the recent crackdown on scrap iron thefts in the region, where Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate had already made high-profile arrests, including Rintu Panja, the husband of former TMC Councillor Priyanki Panja, and Arabinda Nandy, a former councillor of Durgapur Municipal Corporation. Both men were allegedly involved in stealing scrap iron from closed factories in the area.
The Chief Minister of West Bengal had earlier directed the police to take strict action against illegal activities, and the police are now expanding their investigation to determine whether there is an inter-state scrap iron mafia involved in these criminal activities.
The scrap iron theft ring has been a growing concern in the Durgapur and Asansol areas, where many closed factories are being looted for valuable materials. Authorities are now focusing on dismantling the networks behind these crimes and preventing the illegal trafficking of scrap iron across state borders.
According to Avisek Gupta, DCP (East) of ADPC, the police are continuing their investigations into the stolen goods and examining whether there is a larger mafia racket at play, orchestrating thefts from closed factories and distributing stolen scrap iron.