PARADIP: In a significant breakthrough, Paradip Lock police unearthed a racket for allegedly forging documents to manipulate the queue system for unloading cargo trucks at the Paradip Port on Tuesday. Four persons from Jharkhand were apprehended in connection with the racket and sent to the court.
The Paradip Port, a hub for transporting iron ore and coal, has witnessed a surge in truck traffic, causing lengthy queues stretching up to 35 km from Paradip to Marshaghai in Kendrapara district. Some drivers have been forced to wait for up to two weeks due to congestion, giving rise to a black-market extortion scheme allowing certain trucks to bypass the queue for a fee.
The operations of the racket came to light when four trucks carrying iron fines took an unauthorised route through Dochakki of Paradip Chandikhole NH. Assistant sub-inspector (SI) Dinabandhu Ojha inspected the trucks and uncovered false documents indicating that the cargo was iron pellets authorised for transport from Rungta Mines to Paradip.
The four accused Md Jamaliddin, Md Iqbal, Kamal Sekh and Alfazul Sekh – all drivers from Jharkhand, disclosed that they had received forged documents from the main accused, Galif Hasmi of Neailpur village in Jajpur district. They were asked to produce these documents if questioned by authorities.
Trucks carrying iron pellets do not have to wait in queue whereas those with iron fines wait for weeks to unload, sources said.
Paradip Lock Police Station inspector-in-charge (IIC), Kulamani Sethi, said, “The arrested Jharkhand-based drivers have been sent to court, and efforts are underway to apprehend Hasmi from Jajpur region who had prepared the forged documents. Four cargo-loaded trucks have also been seized.”
The accused have been charged under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents), and 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code. A similar racket was unearthed by Paradip Lock police on August 5 in which five persons were arrested including three drivers and two mafia members.