BIRATNAGAR: Koshi Province Police Office in Biratnagar has made public 12 individuals involved in a widespread transformer theft racket across eastern Nepal.
In a press briefing held on Tuesday, police officials revealed that seven individuals directly involved in stealing transformers and five traders who purchased the stolen items have been arrested.
According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ishwar Karki, those arrested include young men from Gramthan, Belbari in Morang, and Duhabi in Sunsari. The buyers of the stolen goods are traders based in Biratnagar, Duhabi, and Itahari.
Following a rise in transformer thefts reported across Jhapa, Sunsari, and Morang districts, provincial police had launched a sting operation and heightened surveillance in vulnerable areas. Investigators utilized CCTV footage, conducted searches in suspicious locations, and monitored copper factories and utensil shops, eventually leading to the arrests.
During the investigation, police discovered that the group had stolen a total of 22 transformers: 12 from Sunsari, 8 from Morang, and 2 from Jhapa.
In addition to the stolen transformers, police also seized 370 kilograms of copper wire used in the equipment, along with various tools and vehicles linked to the crimes. These included five motorcycles, one pickup truck (registration number Ko 1 Cha 7729), and 12 mobile phones.
Among the recovered tools were 22 dial wrenches of various sizes, three spanner wrenches, three pliers, three screwdrivers, a chisel, a chain, a wire cutter, three hacksaw blades, a digging tool, an electric grinder with battery, and a jumper cable.
The police stated that the operation was part of a broader effort to crack down on organized theft targeting public infrastructure. Further investigations are ongoing to determine whether the suspects were part of a larger network involved in the sale and distribution of stolen electrical equipment.
Comment