Two women, including the alleged mastermind Santoshi Mohanty, were arrested by Dhenkanal police for orchestrating a large-scale mineral transportation fraud.
The accused, Mohanty, a resident of Talcher, and her accomplice, Rashmita Jena, were presented before the court on Wednesday.
The scam involved siphoning off valuable materials, such as iron pellets, during transit from private industrial units in Dhenkanal to Paradip. The accused reportedly operated under the guise of a transport agency, systematically embezzling resources worth crores of rupees.
Prompted by multiple complaints, authorities initiated an investigation, registering two cases at Balimi police station. During the probe, officials uncovered a well-organized operation, leading to the arrests of the duo based on credible information.
Superintendent of Police Abhinav Sonkar disclosed that further investigations are underway, with suspicions of more individuals being involved in the elaborate scheme. Efforts are ongoing to recover the stolen materials and identify other culprits.
This incident has highlighted the pressing need for stricter monitoring and enhanced security measures in the mineral transportation sector to curb organized fraud.
