Surat police bust Rs 79 crore chemical theft racket, two arrested

Surat (Gujarat) [India], November 2 (ANI): The Surat police have busted a racket involving the theft of high-value chemicals from trucks and their replacement with soil. Two persons have been arrested in connection to this case, the police said on Thursday.
The theft racket came to light when a shipment of pesticides valued at Rs 17 crore for Germany was discovered to contain only soil upon arrival at Hazira port.
The company responsible for the consignment filed a complaint with the Koshamba police station in Bharuch district.
The police are actively pursuing other suspects involved in this criminal scheme. According to law enforcement, the gang has successfully stolen chemicals worth Rs. 79 crore from various companies in Gujarat.
Initial investigations have revealed that the driver of the container, along with several accomplices, played a role in the theft. They diverted the truck to a remote location within the Jambusar industrial area of Bharuch, where they emptied the chemical drums and substituted them with soil. The stolen chemicals were subsequently sold on the black market.
"In the Jambusar industrial area of Bharuch, the company sent a truck of high-value pesticides to Surat's Hazira port. On the way, the accused replaced the high-valued chemical with soil and sent it ahead. The consignment was for Germany. After reaching there, the receiver got soil instead of chemicals," said Surat Inspector-General of Police V Chandrashekhar.
"After that, a complaint was registered at Koshamba police station. The driver of the container and some other people were involved. Items worth Rs. 17 crore were stolen. The investigation has revealed that this gang has robbed chemicals worth Rs 79 crore till now. We have arrested two accused," he said.
Further investigation into the case are on, he added. (ANI)