Tobacco heist from Wayanad police station: Absconding cop nabbed after 10-day manhunt

​Sulthan Bathery: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the theft of seven sacks of banned tobacco products from the property room of the Sulthan Bathery police station finally nabbed Senior Civil Police Officer (SCPO) T Sabith, who was absconding ever since the theft came to light. He was arrested from Kalamassery in Ernakulam district around 11 am on Sunday, police said.

Sabith allegedly smuggled out the tobacco products, which were seized by the police from the cellar of a house at Dottappankulam in Sulthan Bathery, by accessing the keys of the property room while he was in charge of the station around midnight on July 19. The seized material was deposited in the property room on June 26. Since the room was rarely opened, the theft came to light only on September 10.

According to Sulthan Bathery DySP Abdul Karim, the SIT arrested Sabith around 11am on Sunday and was expected to bring him to Sulthan Bathery by evening. Tracing Sabith had proved particularly difficult because, being a policeman, he was familiar with the methods and strategies used by investigators.

“The first smart thing he did was switch off his mobile phones completely, making it difficult for us to track him,” Karim said, adding that the investigation team subsequently tracked messages exchanged by Sabith's friends, relatives and others in his network, which eventually helped them identify his whereabouts. Sabith allegedly moved between different hideouts with the help of his wide circle of friends and used different mobile phones to remain in contact with his relatives while avoiding detection.

“We did not fall for the traps he had planted through the media, including the claim that he had merely shifted the contraband to another place. Such a claim could have helped him legally,” Karim said.

“It is easy to nab a conventional thief. But it is difficult when a thief knows the methods used by the police. It was a brain game, and we finally succeeded in outmanoeuvring him,” he added.

Financial troubles and earlier legal proceedings
Police said Sabith, who had a wide circle of friends, was facing financial difficulties and had previously faced legal proceedings in connection with allegations of cheating. A case had also been registered against him at Kalpetta police station in connection with an incident involving the manhandling of an advocate on court premises.

The details and present status of the earlier case were not immediately available.

Car used to transport contraband seized
A police team headed by DySP Karim had on Friday seized the car allegedly used by Sabith to transport the contraband from the police station. Police are now focusing on tracing the seven sacks of banned tobacco products missing from the station.

21 personnel transferred amid concerns over information leaks
In a major administrative shake-up following the theft, Wayanad District Police Chief S. Devamanohar ordered the transfer of 21 police personnel attached to Sulthan Bathery police station to other stations. The station has around 50 personnel. The Sub-Inspector had already been transferred before the latest order.

The transfers came amid concerns that Sabith might have been receiving information about the movements and strategies of the investigation teams from within the police force.

Onmanorama had reported on September 17 that investigators suspected that information about the probe could be reaching Sabith from within the force. To prevent further leaks, the police reportedly restructured the investigation teams several times and constituted parallel teams comprising personnel from different specialised wings.

Despite the challenges, the strategy eventually paid off, with the SIT tracing and arresting Sabith at Kalamassery on Sunday. Police are expected to produce him before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Monday after completing the initial interrogation.