Bhubaneswar: The Mancheswar police has arrested a man and his two son, who were allegedly running a truck-theft racket across Odisha on Sunday. The three were reportedly arrested in Champua, Keonjhar.Following the arrest of the father son, the whole truck theft network was revealed. The arrested accused are Niranjan Mohapatra and his son Ashok Mohapatra and youngest Manoj Mohapatra.According to police investigation, the duo would allegedly reach agreement with truck owners for business transport then they sell them outside of the state without the owners knowledge.Their modus operandi involved first scouting for trucks and then approaching owners in Odisha under the guise of business. After winning the owners’ trust, they would take possession of the trucks via agreements then sell them in other states.Niranjan Mohapatra would negotiate the sale of the vehicles, while the elder son, Ashok Mohapatra, would flee with the trucks. It is alleged that the younger son, Manoj Mohapatra, was responsible for gaining the trust of the vehicle owners.This interstate truck theft racket had been active since 2019. The duo had reportedly stole over 30 trucks during this time.The transactions for the sell of the trucks were carried out through 15 bank accounts. Several cases have reportedly been registered against this gang in areas such as Bhanjanagar, Pipili, Badambadi, and Boudh.The police launched an investigation after a truck was stolen from the Mancheswar police station area last August. Based on an examination of CCTV footage and other information, the police arrived at Champua in Keonjhar.The Mancheswar police are now investigating who else is involved in the racket, where the stolen trucks were sold, and the full details of the financial transactions.
Odisha: Interstate truck theft racket busted by police, Three arrested
