Byndoor Police Apprehend Four Suspects in Large-Scale Areca Nut Theft
Kundapur: Byndoor police have successfully apprehended four individuals implicated in the theft of areca nuts valued at several lakhs of rupees. The crime occurred approximately two months prior in Hadinagadde, a village within the Yadthare jurisdiction.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Santosh, 35, a resident of Nuuji Mavinakatte in Balthila village, Kadaba taluk, Dakshina Kannada district; Shanur Babulal Nawaz, 31, originally hailing from Dharwad but currently residing in Gulmi, Bhatkal; Khwaja Mohammad, 26, and Mohammad Sadiq, 27, both residents of Bhatkal.
Law enforcement officials have recovered approximately 455 kg of the stolen areca nuts from the accused. Additionally, the vehicle utilized in the commission of the crime has been seized. Following their arrest, the suspects were presented before the court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
The case originated with a complaint filed by Masood Patel, a resident of Hadinagadde. Patel had stored approximately 200 bags of dried chali, a processed form of areca nut, within his storage facility. Sometime between May 15th and May 22nd, unidentified individuals breached the lock of the godown and absconded with areca nuts estimated to be worth Rs 5.60 lakhs. The incident was formally reported at the Byndoor Police Station, initiating a full-scale investigation.
In response to a series of areca nut theft cases within the Byndoor Police Station’s jurisdiction, Udupi Superintendent of Police (SP) Hariram Shankar directed a comprehensive investigation. The operation was conducted under the supervision of Additional SP Sudhakar Naik and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) H.D. Kulkarni, with leadership provided by Byndoor Circle Inspector Savitra Tej. To facilitate the investigation, two specialized teams were assembled, led by Byndoor Sub-Inspectors (SIs) Timmappa B.N. and Naveen Borakar, along with Kollur SI Vinay.
Through diligent investigation and strategic action, the police teams successfully located and apprehended the accused. The operation involved the participation of officers Nagendra from Kollur Station, Suresh, Chidanand, Malappa Desai, Parayya Mathapati, Ravindra, Ashok, and Chandra.
