A Silchar-bound 16-wheeler truck (registration AS01JC4557) was hijacked from Sonapur, Guwahati, on August 14. The truck was carrying 700 rods, 24-foot-long blue Jindal tinpats, 600 bags of tea leaves, tarpaulins, butter, chocolate, clothes, paints, potatoes, and porridge, with a total value exceeding Rs 60 lakh.
The truck owner lodged a complaint at Sonapur Police Station on August 18. Acting on the FIR, police recovered the empty truck from Cherekapar in Sivasagar.
In connection with the case, Bhaskar Chutia from Haluwating Burah Goan (Haluwating PS, Sivasagar) and Utpal Das were arrested. Earlier, Nawaz Hussain and Mehtaj Khan, who had bought and stored the tinpats, were also arrested but later released.
A joint operation by Haluwating, Amguri, and Sonapur police on August 29 led to the recovery of 54 tinpats hidden in a paddy field at Bamun Pukhuri Chari Ali, and 48 more tinpats from Japisajia village.
During the operation, Monuj Gogoi and Diganta Gohain were also arrested. Authorities stated that three suspects involved in hiding the remaining tinpats are still absconding, and Haluwating police have launched a massive search to apprehend them.
