Garhwa police have made significant strides in solving a robbery case involving a stolen trailer and truck engine, with nine arrests confirmed on Thursday. The police successfully recovered the stolen trailer and truck engine, alongside two vehicles implicated in the crime and eight mobile phones belonging to the suspects.
Those arrested include Taqir Alam from Tandwa village, Nisar Ansari, known as Chotu, Imam Ansari, and Firdous Ansari from Parsawan village, Altaf Ansari from Patihari village in Bishunpur, Shatrughan Chaurasia from Lokya village in the Chainpur block of Palamu district, Pankaj Kumar Yadav from Sherghati Mahuam village in Gaya district, Bihar, and Butu Yadav from Beldar Beegaha village.
Police Superintendent Deepak Kumar Pandey revealed that on the nights of 20 and 21 December, a gang of seven to eight criminals hijacked an 18-wheeler truck, registration number BR 06 GG 2577, near Obra on Ranka Road. The criminals used an Ashok Leyland engine and a white Baleno to overtake the truck, leading to a case registered at Garhwa police station as crime number 689/24.
Given the serious nature of the incident, a dedicated team was established under Sub-Divisional Police Officer Neeraj Kumar, which acted promptly to recover the stolen engine and truck that same night from near Imtiaz Hotel in the Larkoria area.
The Superintendent reported that the raiding team apprehended all nine robbers from various locations. Following their arrests, police recovered the Baleno car and the Ashok Leyland engine involved in the robbery.
In a further development, Superintendent Pandey indicated that these criminals were linked to a similar incident that occurred on the night of 26-27 August on the Garhwa-Rehla road near Bel Chhampa, recorded at Garhwa police station under case number 451/24 BNS. The Swift Desire car used in that robbery has also been recovered, and a team has been dispatched out of state to locate the stolen truck.
The Superintendent disclosed that the criminals had taken measures to disguise the stolen truck's identity by repainting it in a garage near Chandil. The truck’s estimated value ranges between 16 to 17 lakh rupees, but it was sold by the thieves for approximately five lakh rupees. The stolen vehicle was transported by attaching it to the engine. Notably, one of the stolen trucks has already been sold, prompting an investigation into the recipient of the funds.
Additionally, it was noted that the criminals attempted to detach the truck from the engine near Anraj Ghati; however, the truck fell and could not be lifted. Taqir Alam, a professional driver, was reportedly aware of the operation. During the investigation, it was clarified that the perpetrators aimed solely to steal the truck, leaving the engine behind. This made identification challenging, particularly as the truck did not display a registration number.
