Truck driver accused of using fake documents to steal $2.8 million in industrial product bound for Japan, Indiana police say

A truck driver was arrested in Indiana in connection with the theft of a shipment of millions of dollars worth of Tungsten Oxide powder.

At 6 a.m. on June 27, the Greenfield Police Department (GPD) received an alert about a semi truck traveling west on I-70 entering Hancock County, Indiana, that was believed to have been involved in a cargo theft incident in Pennsylvanian on June 25.

GPD located the suspect truck and performed a traffic stop on I-70 just west of the Greenfield exit.

Police identified the truck driver as Deepak Kumar, 31, of Fresno, California.

“Mr. Kumar is suspected of using fraudulent documents to obtain a load of nearly 40,000 pounds of Tungsten Oxide Powder that was being shipped to Japan. The value of the cargo Mr. Kumar fraudulently received is $2,857,500.00 and was being shipped to Mitsubishi Materials Corporation in Japan,” said GPD.

An arrest warrant was issued out of Pennsylvania accusing Kumar of Theft by Unlawful Taking Movable Property and Criminal Use of Communication Facility.

Kumar was arrested and booked into the Hancock County Jail.

The truck and trailer were impounded.

Police searched the trailer and confirmed that it contained the stolen cargo.

On June 28, a Mitsubishi Materials Corporation representative arrived in Greenfield to take possession of the stolen materials.

“With the use of modern technology and diligent police work, Mr. Kumar is in jail and will face prosecution for his alleged crimes. Mr. Kumar is only a suspect and is considered innocent until proven guilty. We commend B Squad officers, both day shift and night shift, who worked together on this traffic stop to recover this stolen property,” GPD said.