BHUBANESWAR: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch arrested six smugglers and seized 214 tonne processed ferrochrome worth over Rs 2 crore from their possession.On a tip-off about organised inter-state cargo theft of ferrochrome, the officers conducted raids at various places near Manguli, Tangi and Cuttack in the last two days.
The racket has been found to be operating in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and other states. The accused are Ajit Gupta, Santosh Kumar Verma, Babli Gupta, Kundan Paswan, Nanda Kishore Singh and Radheshyam Gupta and three cases have been registered against them. The accused are natives of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Three trucks, one generator set, an electric sewing machine and other articles were seized during the raids, said STF DIG Jai Narayan Pankaj.
Preliminary investigation reveals that the persons either in connivance with truck drivers or without their knowledge, used to steal the ferrochrome when the consignments were transported from Odisha to various ports. They used to operate on the highways.They sold the ferrochrome to small scale industries in West Bengal and Jharkhand. Probe is continuing to ascertain the exact details and nab other members of the gang, if any.Ferrochrome is an alloy made of iron and chromium and is used primarily in the manufacturing of stainless steel. India has three to four per cent of the world’s chrome ore reserves of which 97 per cent is in Odisha.