Kendrapara, Sept. 21:A special investigation team of Madhya Pradesh police assisted by local police conducted raids on possible hideouts of the mastermind of a treasury loot in Guna of Madhya Pradesh.

However, the mastermind, a migrant worker from Kendrapara district, was untraceable, said the police. They did not reveal his name.

Goods worth over Rs 30 crore kept in the Guna treasury was looted on August 29 after hoodlums used sedatives to leave the armed guards in a state of unconsciousness.

The stolen goods included jewellery of temples, cash and valuables deposited by the tehsil and judicial courts of Guna district in Madhya Pradesh, said the police.

“The MP police had identified the mastermind of the treasury loot by way of closed-circuit television camera footage. The CCTV footage had been circulated to us. The main culprit is a man from Kandiahat village under Rajkanika police station jurisdiction of Kendrapara district,” said Kendrapara sub-divisional police officer Nrusingha Charan Swain.

The Kendrapara police assisted the MP police special squads who are on the lookout of the accused.

“A series of raids were conducted at various places. However, he could not be apprehended,” said Swain.

The local police are keeping a close watch on the accused. “We are hopeful of nabbing him shortly,” he said.

The man from Kandiahat used to run a petty business at Guna for a living. Apart from the Guna loot incident, he is suspected to be involved in two other similar treasury heist cases in Madhya Pradesh.

The modus operandi of the culprit was simple. He struck up a friendship with treasury guards.

He spoke fluent Hindi to create an impression that he was a local resident. Offering soft drinks with sedatives to security guards, he looted the treasury with professional expertise.

On August 29, the loot was carried out at Guna treasury using this ploy, said a Madhya Pradesh cop.