Berhampur (Odisha), Nov 27 (PTI) Police arrested five persons, including two Transport department officials for illegally collecting money from trucks plying on National Highway 16 in Odisha's Ganjam district, an officer said.

The arrested persons include additional regional transport officer (RTO), Ganjam, K Venkatesh and junior Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI), Ratikanta Nayak, and three others, the officer said.

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SP (Berhampur) Saravana Vivek M said Golanthara police have received information about the illegal collection of money by a group of youth at Girishola on NH 16 from trucks with a promise of smooth passage of their vehicles without any checking by RTO Ganjam officials.

A police team from Golanthara police station rushed to the spot and noticed at least four persons detaining a vehicle and collecting money. Police detained three of them while one fled from the spot, he said

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During the interrogation, all three revealed they were working on behalf of some officers of the RTO, Ganjam and disclosed their names. They were collecting money from trucks so that RTO officials would not check their vehicles along the NH-16. Later the collected money will be given to the RTO officials through cash or online transactions, police said

For this operation, the accused officials have added their "agents" in WhatsApp groups where the officials were members. Details of trucks which pay money was shared in their WhatsApp group so that, they won't be checked by RTO officials on NH-16, said the SP.

He said a case was registered against all the five accused persons, including officials under different sections of BNS and Prevention of Corruption Act. Investigation was underway to find out other persons involved in the racket, police said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)