Operation ‘Black Smoke’: 162 arrested in Odisha’s Twin City in 13 months

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 17:

Odisha’s twin city commissionerate police have arrested 162 gangsters and seized 77 mousers along with a huge amount of ammunition in the last 13 months since it launched ‘Operation Black Smoke’.

The operation was launched on April 14, 2014 to contain illegal arms smuggling in and around the Twin City of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

“Back in 2012-13, firing and loot at gunpoint was common in Bhubaneswar. Influence of local gangs such as Tito, Haider, Raghav, Tuan, Dipu, Dilu and some inter-state gangsters was on a steady rise. They were involved in crimes like dacoity, forceful land possession and extortion. We had started the operation at that time,” said Commissioner of Police Rajendra Prasad Sharma.

“Within a short while, we have succeeded in arresting criminals from Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Pipili, Cuttack, Brahmapur and Boudh who used to commit crimes within commissionerate police limits. So far, 70 cases have been registered against members of 25 gangs under this operation and we are trying to intensify the operation even further,” he added.

Apart from making arrests, the police are also taking proactive steps to track the criminals after they get bail from the court. The special squad and quick action team (QAT) of commissionerate police continue to keep a hawk’s eye on criminals on bail to watch if they return to the mainstream or go back to the world of crime.

The police authorities have issued special instructions to every police station to arrest those attempting to reenter the world of crime under section 110.

After the large-scale arrests and stringent action, crimes such as firing, loot, dacoity and extortion are on a decline in the capital city, said Police Commissioner Sharma.