OLX fraud: Youth impersonating buyer cons dozens

Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police achieved a breakthrough in the OLX fraud case in Bhubaneswar after arresting a youth, who allegedly looted two-wheelers from persons putting up ads on the online trading platform, on the pretext of a test drive. Also, the police recovered 11 stolen two-wheelers from the accused.

Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash informed the accused, Amit Kumar Patra alias Jagu from Bhanjanagar area of Ganjam district was arrested from a place under the Bhubaneswar UPD area. Amit Kumar is a repeat offender and was arrested in 2019 for similar offence. During that time the police seized 17 stolen two-wheelers from him, the DCP added.

For the past few days several people lodged police complaints in different parts of the Odisha Capital alleging that a youth stole their two-wheelers on the pretext of a test ride. As the loot victims had put up ads on OLX to sell their vehicles, the accused contacted them after getting the contact details and address provided by them on the online trading platform. The accused then asked the two-wheeler owners for a test ride and subsequently, stole it, the DCP said about the modus operandi of the accused.

After finding similarities in all the vehicle loot cases, the Commissionerate Police gave charge to the Special Squad to probe the matter. As Amit Kumar Patra was arrested for similar type of crime in 2019, the Special Squad put him on the radar, the DCP further stated.

“The Special Squad kept a tab on Amit Patra for the past 20 days and arrested him yesterday. A total of 11 two-wheelers have been recovered from him,” said the Bhubaneswar DCP.

The Commissionerate Police identified the owners of the stolen vehicles and efforts are on to find out whether other two-wheeler cases in the Capital City have been linked to Amit Patra.

The accused was selling the stolen two-wheelers in faraway places such as Boudh, Koraput and Ganjam at discounted prices, the DCP said.

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