Absconding cop leverages police playbook to evade arrest after tobacco heist at Sulthan Bathery station

Despite concerted efforts by multiple police teams to track down Senior Civil Police Officer (SCPO) T Sabith, who allegedly smuggled out seven sacks of banned tobacco products kept in the property room of the Sulthan Bathery police station, the accused cop remains at large.

The tobacco products, seized during a raid as part of the State-wide anti-narcotics drive ‘Operation Toofan’, were found missing from the police station on September 10 during a cleaning drive in the property room. The seized materials were kept at the room on June 26.

A subsequent examination of CCTV footage led investigators to identify Sabith as the prime accused. Since then, multiple teams have been working to trace him, but with limited success. 

Investigators say the case has turned into a battle of wits, with Sabith, who is familiar with police procedures and investigation methods, apparently managing to stay ahead of the teams tracking him. 

“Whenever we take one step forward, he seems to take two steps ahead and slips away from our net,” an investigating official told Onmanorama. “It has become a brain game. Every day, the investigation teams work out new strategies to trace him, but he appears to anticipate them and counter them with strategies of his own,” the official added.

Police suspect possible leaks
Investigators suspect that Sabith may be receiving information about the movements and strategies of the police teams from within the force itself, sources said.

Police are examining the possibility that some personnel may have been passing information to the accused. To prevent such leaks, the teams have been restructured several times, with parallel teams formed from different specialised wings.

The aim is to ensure that the accused cannot anticipate the movements of a particular team and that the investigation does not depend on a single line of inquiry.

Sulthan Bathery DySP Abdul Karim, who assumed charge recently, is personally supervising the investigation. Four teams are operating under the DySP, along with parallel teams comprising personnel from specialised police wings.

The cyber police cell is also monitoring possible digital leads. However, investigators have so far struggled to establish a reliable trail.

Sabith's primary mobile phone has remained switched off. Police suspect that he may be using alternative numbers to stay in touch with relatives and acquaintances. The phones of some of his close relatives and other associates are also reportedly being monitored as investigators try to establish his whereabouts.

Seven sacks of tobacco still missing
The police have also failed to recover the seven sacks of banned tobacco products allegedly taken from the station.
Investigators are examining possible links between Sabith and local vendors and networks involved in the distribution of banned tobacco products, sources said. They are trying to determine where the seized material was taken and whether it was subsequently reintroduced into the illegal market.

The case has also raised questions about how the contraband could have been removed from a police station property room in the first place.

Sabith recently appeared in Ernakulam and gave an interview to a news channel, claiming that he was innocent. He said the tobacco products had not been stolen but had merely been shifted to another location.

The police, however, have questioned the claim, pointing out that access to the property room is governed by established procedures. According to police sources, entering the room itself involves a formal process, while shifting seized material requires permission from multiple superior officers.

DySP confident of arrest
Despite the difficulties in tracing Sabith, DySP Abdul Karim said the police were confident of apprehending him soon.
“We are on his track. At this point, nothing more can be revealed,” the DySP told Onmanorama.

He added that senior police officers were reviewing the progress of the investigation daily.

The police are now under pressure to establish how the seized material was removed from the station, where it was taken and whether anyone else assisted in the alleged operation.