SANGAREDDY: The soaring price of tomatoes in the market has become a matter of concern as it continues to rise day by day. At present, a kilogramme of tomatoes is priced at around Rs 250, prompting some miscreants to engage in tomato theft as a profitable venture. Unidentified persons are targeting small shops and wholesale stores, causing problems for small traders.
Recently, a wholesale trader in Zaheerabad market fell victim to theft, where six boxes of tomatoes were stolen from his shop. Similarly, in Sadashivapet town, thieves looted six boxes of tomatoes and two boxes of beans from a shop. The total value of the stolen tomatoes and vegetables amounted to approximately Rs 30,000. Due to the absence of CCTV cameras in the market, the identity of the thieves remains unknown, even though the shopowner lodged a complaint with the police.
In light of the increasing incidents of vegetable thefts in the market, traders and farmers are growing increasingly worried. The rising vegetable prices have motivated some thieves to conduct nighttime thefts, causing anxiety among traders. The police are now investigating whether these thefts are carried out by opportunistic individuals or if there may be insiders associated with wholesalers involved in these illegal activities, a police official said.