Chennai cop held for masterminding truck heist

Chennai: City Police arrested a constable attached to the Flower Bazaar police station for masterminding a truck heist near Thiruvottiyur last year. The role of Prakash (29) who is serving as a head constable with the city police has been established after sustained investigations, police sources said. Amulraj (30) of Washermanpet, who works at the Government printing press was also arrested, police said. 

Police had arrested seven persons last May after an armed gang hijacked a container truck ferrying pharmaceuticals to the Chennai Port.  On May 26, 2016, the truck was halted at the Popular weighbridge near Ondikuppam in Tiruvottiyur police limits when the armed gang approached the truck. The truck was coming from a private pharma firm in Ranipet in Vellore district carrying several lakh worth drugs meant for export.

The gang had come in an SUV (Reg.no TN 02 T 3997) and had attacked the truck driver Vinoth (27). They later let him off near Ambattur toll gate and escaped with the truck after which the driver informed his owner. 

Police zeroed down on the SUV the gang came in. The car and the owner, S Suresh (31) of Kolathur were picked up a week later. Suresh's inputs led police to the place where the container truck was kept hidden. The truck and the cargo were recovered from Keezhanur village in Thiruvallur district. 

Meanwhile, police arrested the father-son duo of D Babu (45) and B Joseph (22) from Kolathur who are said to have initially masterminded the robbery and subsequently five others. Babu is said to be a serial offender and was involved in similar thefts before.

 He had planned to sell the truck by changing the number plates and documents a few months later, police said. 

Meanwhile, Tiruvottiyur police were informed of the role played by a city police constable, after which they initiated investigations. “It was found that Prakash had developed friendships with the members of the gang when he was serving in the Armed Reserve (AR) and used to be on security detail accompanying prisoners,” a police official said.  Prakash was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.