Darsi police arrest 9 for transformer thefts

According to police, Devarakonda Sesha Rao, who worked as a labourer, had met P. Nancharaiah, an iron scrap dealer from Ongole, who has a history of buying stolen copper wire. Nancharaiah offered to buy copper if Sesha Rao stole transformers.

Sesha Rao then formed a gang and started targeting transformers in agricultural fields. They stole 72 transformers across Prakasam and Bapatla districts and sold 588 kg of copper wire to Nancharaiah

Darsi DSP B. Lakshmi Narayana, along with circle inspector Y. Rama Rao and sub-inspectors of Mundlamuru, Darsi and Tallur, tracked the gang’s movements using technical surveillance. Following their investigation and gathering evidence, police arrested the accused on Monday and recovered 88 kg of stolen copper wire, along with an auto used in the crimes.

District SP Damodar congratulated the police staff for identifying and arresting the accused.