Guwahati cops break 2 inter-state vehicle lifters’ gang stealing bikes & cars

Guwahati, March 17: Guwahati Police on Monday recovered 13 motorbikes and 4 four-wheeler sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in two separate operations carried out against two gangs of inter-state vehicle lifters.

Addressing the press on Monday after the success of the two operations, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Anurag Sarma said that the operation, called “Operation against Hunter-lifters,” led to the recovery of 13 motorbikes and the arrest of 6 individuals.

“Of the 13 bikes recovered, 12 were high-end. The modus operandi of the gang are outside the state. They would steal the bikes and transfer them to Manipur via public transport such as buses within 48-72 hours of their stealing,” Sarma said.

According to Sarma, the police consider it a special case as the thieves would reach Guwahati via flight and stay in the city for 2-3 days. “In a day, they would steal about 3-4 bikes. The bikes would go to Thoubal and we are assuming, following this, they would reach Myanmar,” Sarma said.

He further added that the drivers and conductors of the buses have also facilitated the activities of the bike gang.

“Even the drivers and conductors were involved in the operation, who would hand over to their agents in districts such as Thoubal. Four individuals are in prison and after investigation, we found out that 2 were related to the Transport sector,” Sarma said.

He added that the gang belonged to Manipur with one individual from Rangia who was arrested by Goalpara police.

“The members of the gang is from Manipur’s Thoubal and other districts except one, Inamul Hussain, who is from Rangia. Hussain had provided local assistance required to the group to carry out their activities. A case was previously registered against Inamul Hussain at Dispur police station. Goalpara police have assisted us in nabbing him as he had fled from Rangiya and was hiding in Goalpara,” Sarma said.

He added that the bikes were recovered within 10-15 days of having received reports of such theft from different parts of the city.

In a separate operation, the police also recovered 2 off-road four-wheeler SUVs and 1 regular SUV were recovered in the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya from an inter-state vehicle lifters’ gang. Four individuals have been arrested, Sarma told the press.

The police also recovered four-wheelers during this operation (AT Photo)

“With regard to the four-wheelers, the investigation is still on. What we know at present is the people were planning to take the cars to the Bangladesh border,” Sarma said.