Truck driver, three others held for staging ₹55-lakh copper heist near Signature Bridge

While transporting 6,000kg of copper scrap from Libaspur in outer Delhi to Mandoli in the northeast, his truck was intercepted and the consignment was stolen.

The Delhi Police crime branch on Saturday said it had cracked a highway theft in which four men posing as bank officials allegedly drugged a truck driver and stole about 6,000 kg of copper scrap worth roughly ₹55 lakh near Signature Bridge in northeast Delhi’s Khajoori Khas on Tuesday morning. Investigators later arrested four people—including the driver himself—for staging the heist to sell the copper on the grey market, and said the entire consignment had been recovered.

During questioning, the truck driver gave evasive and conflicting statements, which raised suspicion. On sustained interrogation, he admitted to plotting the heist with his accomplices. (Representational image)

The accused were identified as Arun Soni, a scrap dealer and alleged mastermind; Manish Kumar, the truck driver and key conspirator; Aditya Shah, a friend of Kumar; and Ramzan Ali, who administered the injection. According to deputy commissioner of police (crime) Harsh Indora, the gang plotted to sell the copper in the grey market for profit.

Police registered a case of causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence and theft under sections 123 and 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at New Usmanpur police station, based on a complaint by driver Manish Kumar. He alleged that on Tuesday morning, while transporting 6,000 kilos of copper scrap from Libaspur in outer Delhi to Mandoli in the northeast, his truck was intercepted.

Around 11am, as the vehicle crossed Signature Bridge and neared Khajoori Chowk, a Swift car blocked its path. Four men posing as bank officials stopped the truck, claiming pending loan instalments. Two entered the cabin, and one injected Kumar with an unknown substance, knocking him unconscious.

After the driver was rendered unconscious, the suspects transferred the copper scrap to another truck and fled the scene. The case was handed to the crime branch’s northern range-1 team for investigation.

“The team examined footage from more than 200 CCTV cameras and analysed the call records of multiple suspects,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Harsh Indora. “During questioning, the truck driver gave evasive and conflicting statements, which raised suspicion. On sustained interrogation, he admitted to plotting the heist with his accomplices. His confession led to the arrest of three others and the recovery of the stolen consignment.”