Investigating the two-month old case of a container filled with cosmetics that was stolen by a conman from a yard in the city, the Chennai police have finally tracked the suspect in Mumbai. Though the police managed to arrest and get him remanded in custody, the man managed to sell the consignment it contained – estimated to be worth Rs 30 lakh – before he was nabbed.

Anil Bhansali

Chennai:

The incident happened in August, in which an unidentified man produced forged documents to collect a container full of cosmetics from a yard in Noombal village at Velappanchavadi. 

After realising that they have been duped, the manager of the container yard, Subbarao, had lodged a complaint that the papers produced were forged, adding that the value of the stolen consignment was around Rs 30 lakh. A case was registered and police launched a hunt for the suspect. 

Meanwhile, following a tip-off that the accused was in Mumbai, a team of police personnel from here rushed to the western Indian city, and arrested the suspect, identified as Anil Bhansali (32) of Mumbai. According to investigating officers, Bhansali had previously worked at a container yard. This familiarity with the freight handling procedure made it easier for him to commit the crime, police added. 

Further investigation revealed that Anil had come to the container yard with a hired truck and took away the container. “He abandoned the hired truck in Manali. From there, he shifted the container to another truck and took it to Mumbai. He has sold all the cosmetics,” said police. 

He was produced before a court after which he was remanded in judicial custody.