UditVani, Jamshedpur: In a major crackdown on railway cargo theft, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested four persons for stealing rice from a freight train near Goelkera railway station under Chakradharpur Division of the South Eastern Railway.
The RPF also seized 101 sacks of rice and three Tata Magic vehicles used in the crime.
The incident took place late last night when a group of thieves broke open the locks of several wagons of a goods train loaded with rice.
Acting swiftly on a tip-off, an RPF team conducted a surprise raid and caught four individuals red-handed while they were unloading the stolen rice. Several others managed to flee under the cover of darkness, and efforts are on to trace and apprehend them.
According to officials, the gang had tampered with the train by releasing its vacuum pressure, forcing it to halt between Goelkera and Mahadevsal.
They then broke open multiple wagon locks and began offloading the rice sacks. When the train remained stationary for an unusual amount of time, Goilkera station authorities alerted the RPF.
A team led by RPF Manoharpur Station In-Charge R.K. Pandey and Sub-Inspector Jayanandan Mishra immediately launched a night operation, resulting in the arrest of the culprits.
Among those detained, three are reportedly Tata Magic drivers from Chakradharpur. The rice sacks had already been loaded into the vehicles and were being prepared for transport.
The RPF is continuing raids to nab the remaining members of the gang.
