Police officer on the run for ‘stealing’ seized tobacco products nabbed from Ernakulam
A police officer has been arrested in Ernakulam after being on the run for ten days for allegedly stealing seized tobacco products from a police station in Wayanad. The officer was identified through CCTV footage after the theft of evidence was discovered during an inspection.
Why it matters
This incident raises concerns regarding the integrity of evidence management and internal security within law enforcement agencies.
A special police team has taken into custody another police officer who has been on the run for the past 10 days after reportedly stealing seven bags of seized banned tobacco products from the Sulthan Bathery Police Station in Keralam’s Wayanad district.
According to sources, senior civil police officer Sabith was detained in Kalamassery in Ernakulam district on Sunday (September 20, 2026) morning. He had been untraceable after the alleged theft was reported on September 10. Mr. Sabith was also suspended from service.
Though the special team had earlier located his mobile phone in Ernakulam district, he could not be traced because he kept on moving from one place to another. He was intercepted in Kalamassery after a tip-off on Sunday (September 20, 2026), the sources said.
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