Wayanad: Seven sacks of banned tobacco products seized by the police in Wayanad have gone missing from the fortified safe room of the Sulthan Bathery police station.

The tobacco products were seized from the cellar of a house at Dottappankulam, near Sulthan Bathery, on June 7 as part of the statewide anti-narcotics drive, Operation Toofan. Police recovered 12,000 sachets of Hans and 1,800 sachets of Cool Lip, tobacco products widely used by youngsters, including students.

The seized items were later kept in the police station's safe room after being released from court custody.

According to an FIR registered suo motu by the Sulthan Bathery police, the theft is suspected to have taken place between June 26 and September 10. The exact date on which the contraband was taken has not yet been established.

Police said the seized tobacco products were last confirmed to be in the safe room on June 26. The theft came to light only on September 10, when two police officials, including the Station Writer, entered the room for routine cleaning. The Station Writer is the custodian of the room keys.

The officials found that the seized articles were missing and informed Station House Officer Ajesh K S. A forensic team examined the safe room and collected evidence from the scene.

Preliminary information suggests there were no visible signs of forced entry. Police sources said the keys to the safe room are normally kept at the station under the custody of the Station Writer or Assistant Station Writer.

This has led investigators to examine the possibility that the room was opened using a key. They are also looking into whether anyone with access to the keys was involved in the theft or assisted an outsider.

The possibility of involvement by someone from within the police station is also being examined, police sources said. However, there is no official confirmation at this stage regarding who removed the seized tobacco products or how the room was accessed.

Senior police officials have remained tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding the theft and the progress of the investigation.

Sulthan Bathery DySP Abdul Karim told Onmanorama that the Station Inspector is the investigating officer and that the probe is progressing at a fast pace. He declined to divulge further details about the investigation or the circumstances in which the seized tobacco products went missing.

Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the contraband and checking whether anyone with access to the safe room or its keys was involved. The probe is expected to establish whether the theft was carried out by someone from within the police station or with the assistance of an outsider.