Inadequately staffed EOW riles traders

SURAT: City police have done little to protect textile traders from organized gangs. They are yet to have a full-fledged economic offences wing, which was set up a year ago, fuelling cautious optimism among textile traders. At present, the economic offences wing is headed by a police sub-inspector and has some other cops of low ranks. Traders want adequately staffed economic offences wing so that it also investigates cases of defaults, cheating and taka thefts in the 165 textile markets housing more than 75,000 textile shops in the city.


Every year, textile traders of textile markets located on Ring Road and Salabatpura suffer defaults to the tune of Rs700 crore because of fly-by-night operators and thefts worth Rs500 crore carried out by ‘taka lifter gangs’.

Since January 2019, 25 theft complaints at Radha Krishna Market alone have been registered and 15 more are in the process of registration at the police station concerned. Police have no figure about other markets in the city, sources said.

Federation Of

Surat Textile

Traders Association (FOSTTA) office-bearers said a full-fledged economic offence wing will help tackle the menace more robustly.

FOSTTA president, Manoj Agarwal said, “The economic offences wing was supposed to be headed by a deputy commissioner of police. It was to have a staff of 25, including two assistant commissioners of police and two police sub-inspectors besides the DCP.

City police commissioner

Satish Sharma

told TOI, “A year ago, the economic offences wing was formed with deployment of police staff from crime branch. We have a sent a fresh proposal to the state government for sanction of adequate staff in the wing so that its working becomes more efficient. The state government is very positive to the proposal.”