MADIKERI: Following the decrease in coffee production across the world, the prices of coffee beans are soaring. However, many growers are investing additional funds to protect the coffee yield from thieves.
At Siddapura, coffee grower Hussain lost over 800kg of picked Robusta coffee beans to thieves who did away with all the coffee produce kept inside a storage room on the estate premises. The incident was reported on January 26. After thorough investigations, Siddapura police have nabbed four accused in the theft case after over a month. KB Shafiq (36), TJ Francis (29), MG Anees (24) and MB Yasin (28) who are all residents of Kodagu district have been nabbed.
Meanwhile, during the investigation, the police also found links with the accused in the coffee theft cases reported across Virajpet limits. As a source confirmed, the police have seized 51 bags of coffee weighing roughly 2,550kg from the arrested accused. Investigations are ongoing to trace more theft cases connected to the arrested accused.
Even as several growers have completed the coffee picking work, they fear losing the produce to thieves. “Due to wildlife movement, it is hard for growers to stay within the estate limits during night hours. However, as theft cases are increasing, I have now installed CCTVs powered with solar across the estate premises, especially in front of the coffee drying and storage yard. We are forced to invest in cameras with night-vision options,” confirmed Vethan, a coffee grower in Biligeri limits.
Meanwhile, SP K Ramarajan has also urged the growers to install CCTVs to prevent coffee theft even as he has instructed the coffee trading centres across the district to follow certain guidelines during the process of collecting beans from the coffee bean sellers.