TURA: A group of unidentified armed men have abducted a ginger trader from Assam, who was on his way to the weekly market at Rongsak in East Garo Hills on Tuesday morning.
Preliminary reports from police state that the incident took place around 8.30 am at a place called Bamsam Awe, an area that falls under newly created Chiading police station of East Garo Hills, close to the border with West Garo Hills.
The ginger trader has been identified as Tapos Maji (37) of Krishnai market in Goalpara district of Assam.
A regular at weekly markets to purchase ginger in bulk from Garo Hills for resale in the neighbouring state, Maji was travelling to Rongsak market via Songsak and Williamnagar through the old road that passes through Bamsamgre, Rongsak and Rombagre when the incident happened.
A group of men with their faces covered, came in motorcycles and stopped the vehicle he was travelling in close to Bamsam Awe. One of the men brandished a pistol and ordered him to accompany them.
Police later recovered one of the abandoned motorcycles in a jungle area on the same route.
While search operations are currently on to trace and rescue the trader, police believe it was the handiwork of a criminal gang that got its hands on some weapons to commit abductions and extortions.
