GUWAHATI, March 17: In a significant operation, Guwahati Police have successfully dismantled two inter-state vehicle theft gangs operating between Assam and Manipur. The operation, known as Operation Against Hunter-Lifters, resulted in the recovery of 13 stolen motorbikes and 4 sports utility vehicles (SUVs), with 10 individuals arrested across two separate operations.

The first operation focused on a gang involved in stealing high-end motorcycles. Guwahati Police recovered 13 motorbikes, 12 of which were Royal Enfield bikes, stolen by the gang from different parts of the city.

According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Anurag Sarma, the gang had been targeting high-value motorcycles and smuggling them to Manipur within 48-72 hours of theft, using buses as transportation. The thieves, who reportedly arrived in Guwahati via flight, would stay for a few days and steal up to four motorcycles in a day, transferring them to agents in Manipur’s Thoubal district.

The police investigation revealed that the gang was primarily based in Manipur, with a few accomplices from Assam. Inamul Hussain, an Assam-based linkman from Rangia, was arrested by Goalpara Police and played a crucial role in facilitating the transfer of the stolen bikes to the gang in Manipur. Police also noted that some bus drivers and conductors were involved in the operation, helping the gang transport the stolen bikes. The stolen motorcycles were suspected to be moved to Myanmar after reaching Thoubal.

In the second operation, the police recovered two off-road SUVs and one regular SUV, which were stolen and intended for smuggling towards the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya. Four individuals involved in this operation were arrested. Police investigations into this gang are still ongoing, but it is believed that the stolen vehicles were meant to be exported to Bangladesh.