DGP Sanjeev Marik (extreme left) with other police officials at a meet on safe highways. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Sept. 15: A special cell will come up shortly at the crime branch headquarters in the city to track the trail of an organised gang involved in a series of hijacking of aluminium-laden trucks in the state.

The cell will co-ordinate and investigate various incidents of truck hijacking reported from various parts of the state, said director-general of police Sanjeev Marik.

Marik was addressing a conference on making the highways safe here today.

The move comes in the wake of abduction of aluminium-laden trucks, especially originating from Sambalpur, Angul and Jharsuguda districts. Several trucks and their drivers have reportedly gone missing, along with the consignments.

Official sources said there had been a significant rise in the number of abduction of trucks carrying aluminium plates as consignments, especially from Sambalpur and Angul districts.

Data reveals that 95 cases of truck hijacking were reported in the state in 2013, while already 59 cases have been registered by August 31 this year. Besides, 45 cases of truck hijacking were also reported from Jajpur district last year, while 23 cases have been reported by end of this August. All the cases in Jajpur district were mainly theft and abduction of trucks laden with iron ore, chrome and steel products. The gang is also targeting idle trucks parked along the national highway in Jajpur.

“The cell will work in co-ordination with district police concerned. It will assist the police in investigation, filing charge sheet, trial and necessary follow-up action,” he said.

A crime branch official said the special cell would be made operational following demands of the truck owners’ association. “The cell will conduct a detailed probe and curb such menace,” said additional director-general of police (crime branch) B.K. Sharma.

Sharma said many vulnerable locations had been identified along various highways, while patrolling would also be intensified on those routes.

“We demanded immediate registration of cases of theft and abduction of trucks laden with consignments, helpline number and patrolling,” said Bibhu Prasad Das, president of the All- Odisha Truck Owners’ Association.