Wayanad (Keralam) | A police officer who was on the run for past 10 days after allegedly stealing seven bags of seized banned tobacco products from Sultan Bathery station here was taken into custody on Sunday, officials said.

Senior Civil Police Officer Sabith, who is suspected of stealing the seized products from the station, was taken into custody from Kalamassery in Ernakulam district on Sunday morning, they said.

Sabith had been untraceable since the theft came to light on September 10.

He was recently suspended from service and a special team was formed to track him down.

Although police tracking his mobile phone's location found he was in Ernakulam, investigators could not trace him because he frequently changed locations, officials said.

However, following a tip-off on Sunday, he was intercepted near Kalamassery, they said.

A police team is taking Sabith to Sultan Bathery, where he will be interrogated before being produced before a magistrate as part of the remand procedure, officials said.

According to police, seven bags of banned tobacco products were seized from a person at Dhottappankulam near Sultan Bathery on June 7.

The seized goods were produced before a magistrate court, which directed that they be kept at the police station.

On September 10, officials inspected the room and found that the seized tobacco products had been stolen.

"A theft case was registered, and a DySP-rank officer was assigned to investigate the incident," police said.

During the probe, officials found that the lock of the evidence room was intact, indicating that the room had been accessed using a key.

Police later examined CCTV footage from the station in detail and found that Sabith allegedly entered the room and removed the seized products, officials said.