Massive extortion bid foiled in Odisha, 3 held with arms and ammunition
ROURKELA: In a major breakthrough, the Rourkela police foiled an attempt of a Jharkhand-based criminal to launch a massive extortion operation in the city and bordering areas of Sundargarh with the arrest of three criminals and seizures of a huge cache of arms and ammunition.
Police sources said the gang was involved in drugs, arms, and extortion. The seizures included three seven-mm pistols with 20 live ammunition, four improvised bombs, 35 ammunition of SLR rifles, one Pajero vehicle, one two-wheeler, and Rs 50,000 cash.
Rourkela SP Mukesh K Bhamoo said the extortion plan was hatched by one Arjun Rana (48), an Assam native based in Jharkhand. He had previously spent time in Rourkela and was aware of the affluence and paying capacities of local businessmen.
"He wanted to expand the lucrative extortion trade he had planned to unleash a reign of terror to extract big extortion money. As per the preliminary investigation, Rana used to identify himself as leader of the Jharkhand-based People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI). With the outfit facing increased police heat in Jharkhand Rana had formed his own gang targeting small-time criminals in drug, arms, and other criminal activities," Bhamoo said.
The SP said some businessmen were forcibly paying, but not as much to the hefty demand of the gang and the recruits of the gang were getting armed with deadly weapons. The gang members were under instruction to carry out firing and bombing incidents against the targeted businessmen to scare them and ensure the smooth running of the extortion trade as per their demand and whims.
Apart from small-time criminals, 8-10 criminals of Odisha and Jharkhand are active under Rana who weres managing the procurement of narcotic substances, mainly ‘ganja’ from Kandhamal, and supplying the contraband to Jharkhand for procurement of arms and ammunition.
The SP said Rana has a free hand to his men to make money from drugs, arms, extortion and other criminal activities and asserted after a detailed investigation more police action would follow.
Police said on Sunday gang-member Bashist Mohanty alias Bunty (22) and Jangyasish Swain (27) riding a motorbike were arrested when they tried to avoid vehicle checking and it led to the arrest of Amit Sahoo (32) and seizures.