Bhubaneswar: 3,000 kg cashew nuts stolen, 5 held

Bhubaneswar: Odisha police on Monday arrested five members of a gang for their involvement in a cashew nut theft racket in Koraput district in December last year.

According to sources, the gang had stolen over three tonnes of cashew nuts worth lakhs from a cashew processing unit at Ghasarada area under Baipariguda police limits here on December 16, 2018.

After stealing the nuts in bulk, the gang sold the raw cashews to several businessmen in Jeypore town.

Sources said the thieves used the money to buy mobile phones and bikes. Some of them even bought cell-phones for their girlfriends.

Sources claimed that the gang comprised 10 members. The police is looking for the remaining five persons.

Sources said no cases were registered against the businessmen who had purchased the raw cashew nuts from the youths.

The police, however, interrogated the arrested youths and recorded their statements in this connection.

Jeypore SDPO T. Jagarao Reddy stated, “We received information that the dacoits were hiding in the cremation ground near Jyoti mills following which police team went there and nabbed all them.”