Puttur: The Puttur City Police have successfully cracked a major coffee theft case, arresting five individuals involved in the crime and recovering coffee sacks valued at approximately ₹21.44 lakh. The arrested individuals include the main accused, Ashlesh Bhat, along with his accomplices, Narayana Shettigar, Mithun Kumar, Vijaya Shetty, and Mohammed Ashraf. The police operation resulted in the recovery of all 80 stolen sacks of coffee.
The case was registered following a complaint filed by Thrithesh (29), a resident of Kabaka and the owner-driver of the lorry. On December 3, Thrithesh had loaded his vehicle with 320 coffee sacks (each weighing 60 kg) from a Coffee Curing Company in Piriyapatna, destined for Mangaluru port. Upon reaching Puttur late at night, he parked the lorry near Kabaka Nehru Nagar, locked the doors, and went home. The theft came to light the following morning, December 4, 2025, when the lorry arrived at the port. During the quality check by the company representatives, it was observed that the rear seal lock of the lorry had been broken. Upon inspection, it was confirmed that 80 coffee sacks, valued at an estimated ₹21,44,000, were missing. A case was subsequently filed at the Puttur City Police Station under the relevant sections.
The police launched an immediate investigation and soon discovered that the crime was orchestrated by Ashlesh Bhat and his team. Following the arrests, the police seized all 80 stolen coffee sacks from the accused. Furthermore, the authorities confiscated the vehicles used to commit the crime, which included two auto-rickshaws and one goods tempo. The successful operation highlights the quick action of the Puttur police in dismantling the high-value coffee theft network and ensuring the recovery of the complete stolen consignment.
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