1 week Ago
Chennai: Analysis of a tracking device fitted on the consignment container has revealed that the 9-crore silver heist at Kattupalli port was an insider job . With further inquiries revealing collusion of a few port employees, truck driver and locals with a criminal nexus, the police arrested seven persons on Saturday. The gang targeted 922 kg of silver bars, worth about 9 crore, by making the truck wait at the clearing area for longer than usual on April 2.
The heist came to light the next day. The stolen valuables were part of a consignment of 1,305 silver bars shipped from London. The shipment, weighing 39 tonnes, was delivered to a private company at Mannur in Kancheepuram district.
After realising that 30 silver bars were missing from the consignment a few days later, the company lodged a complaint. When police analysed the tracking device, they found that the container, which had been securely sealed, was tampered with, and the silver bars stolen on port campus itself. As the theft occurred in a high-security zone where entry of outsiders is highly restricted, the team concluded it was an insider job.
Police combed CCTV footage from the vicinity and held inquiries with port staff and security personnel who were on duty during the shipment arrival. Soon, they zeroed in on the port supervisors who were on duty at the time. On Saturday, police arrested port supervisor Akash, 24, export and import platform supervisor Ebenas, 46, port lorry driver Naveen Kumar, 25, of Kadapakkam; Desingu, 55, and Gunaseelan, both from Kottaikuppam; Santhosh, 28, of Ernavur, and Venkatesh, 39, of Nandiyambakkam.
Police suspect the role of a few more people in the heist. A search is underway for them. This incident has prompted calls for heightened vigilance and stricter security protocols at Kattupalli Port.
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