PARADIP: Four persons were arrested by Paradip Lock police on Sunday in connection with the theft of iron pipes and plates from the construction site of Essar company at Paradip port area. Those arrested are Jagan Swain of Nuagarh, his aide Sudhansu Sekhar Mallick of Noliashai and smugglers Batcha Singh and Birjhan Singh from Bihar. Two gas cylinders and gas cutters were recovered from their possession.
Frequent theft of construction materials from different plant sites has left the contract agencies and local police worried. In a bid to bust the racket, Paradip Lock police chalked out strategies to check the daily routine of robbery from different industrial sites. A team of police was also engaged at the port site to keep vigil.
Essar Company stocked huge quantity of iron pipe and other construction materials to lay pipe line from mining area to plant site to transport slurry iron for the plant. A racket was allegedly active in stealing iron pipes, plates, scrap and other construction materials from the plant site. Police said Jagan and Sudhansu had engaged Batcha and Birjhan for the stealing work. Batcha and Birjhan used gas cutters for the theft and they looted construction materials including iron pipe worth above `1.50 lakh and supplied it to Swain. A security guard of Essar Company lodged an FIR in Paradip Lock Marine Police station following which, police traced the smugglers and arrested them.