Greenfield police say they have recovered nearly $3 million in stolen cargo and arrested a California man following a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Hancock County.
Details of the Arrest
Officers stopped the semi-trailer near the Greenfield exit at mile marker 104 after being flagged as connected to a cargo theft investigation out of Pennsylvania.
Police identified the driver as 31-year-old Deepak Kumar of Fresno, California. Investigators say Kumar allegedly obtained a shipment of nearly 40,000 pounds of tungsten oxide powder using fraudulent documentation.
The load was valued at approximately $2,857,500 and was scheduled to be delivered to Mitsubishi Materials Corporation in Japan. An arrest warrant had already been issued in Pennsylvania for Kumar on charges related to the theft.
Following the traffic stop, investigators executed a search warrant on the semi-truck and trailer. Police confirmed the stolen cargo was located inside the trailer and later recovered. The truck and trailer were impounded as evidence in the investigation.
Kumar was arrested and taken to the Hancock County Jail. Officials say he will remain in custody while the Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office reviews whether additional charges will be filed in Indiana.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
