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Police Officer Arrested in Wayanad Tobacco Theft Case After Week-Long Manhunt
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News18•20-09-2026, 13:45
Police Officer Arrested in Wayanad Tobacco Theft Case After Week-Long Manhunt
- •Senior Civil Police Officer Sabith was apprehended in Kalamassery, Ernakulam, after being on the run for 10 days.
- •Sabith is suspected of stealing seven bags of seized banned tobacco products from the Sultan Bathery police station.
- •The theft, discovered on September 10, involved products seized on June 7 and ordered by a magistrate court to be kept at the station.
- •Investigators found the evidence room lock intact, suggesting access with a key, and CCTV footage allegedly showed Sabith entering the room.
- •Sabith, who was suspended, will be interrogated in Sultan Bathery before being produced before a magistrate.
Key Questions Answered
Investigators examined CCTV footage from the police station in detail, which revealed that Senior Civil Police Officer Sabith allegedly entered the evidence room and removed the seized tobacco products. Footage also captured the bags being loaded onto a vehicle.
Senior Civil Police Officer Sabith, who had been untraceable since the theft came to light on September 10, was intercepted and taken into custody from Kalamassery in Ernakulam district on a Sunday morning.
Following the discovery that seven bags of seized banned tobacco products had been stolen from the station, Sabith was suspended from service. Additionally, 21 personnel, including sub-inspectors, were collectively transferred in connection with the incident.
