Gang involved in series of palladium carbon theft across country caught by Sangareddy police

A three-member gang involved in the theft of palladium carbon from pharmaceutical companies across multiple States was nabbed by the Sangareddy police on Wednesday, July 23. Approximately 38 kilograms, worth ₹1.52 crore, of the chemical substance, a mild hydrogenation catalyst, was seized from them by the CCS Sangareddy and IDA Bollaram Police.

The arrested people were identified as Amol Bapu Jagade, 29, a labour contractor from Pandharewadi in Pune, Maharashtra, Ravindra Bhagwan, 29, a driver from Bhigwan, Maharashtra, and Ganesh Mahadev Rathod, 28, a medical shop salesman from Hadapsar, Pune. The prime accused, Sambashivudu, is still absconding.

District SP Paritosh Pankaj said that the gang had been involved in several thefts from pharma companies over the past few years. “The arrests were linked to a case reported on the night of December 1, 2024, when palladium carbon was stolen from M/s Rampex Labs Pvt. Ltd. located in S.V. Cooperative Industrial Estate, under the jurisdiction of IDA Bollaram,” said the SP, adding that the trio was apprehended near Kazipally crossroad, ORR service road, early on Wednesday morning.

“Sambashivudu previously worked in multiple pharma companies and had detailed knowledge of the value and storage of palladium carbon. After resigning from his job in Pune and returning to Hyderabad, he began collecting information about companies dealing with the chemical,” added the SP.

Paritosh Pankaj IDA Bollaram SP with the accused in Sangareddy.
| Photo Credit:
MOHD ARIF

The gang had earlier stolen 6.11 kilograms of palladium from Rampex Labs in 2022, 35 kilograms from Newland Company in Guntapally in 2023, and 127.350 kilograms from Areen Life Sciences in Sadashivpet earlier this year. They are also suspected to be involved in the theft of chemicals across Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

Additional cases linked to the gang include the theft of 8 kilos of palladium from Rampex Labs, 6.11 kilos from IDA Bollaram, 110 kilos and 55 kilos of dry palladium from Sadashivpet, 35 kilos from Gummadidala, and 16.81 kilos from Bidar New Town. The gang is also linked to the theft of 5 kilos of sodium gluconate worth ₹2.95 lakh in Gujarat, 7.55 kilos of Brinj chemical powder worth ₹22 lakh in Kurkumbh, and 18 kilos of chemical powder worth ₹2.7 lakh in Mumbai earlier this year.