TURA: A trader from Assam dealing in arecanut has gone missing in South Garo Hills since Tuesday, and is suspected to be kidnapped by criminals.
The victim, identified as Nur Muhammad and hailing from Mankachar town in South Salmara district of Assam, had driven his Mahindra Pik up mini truck to the South Garo Hills region to purchase arecanut from the betelnut farmers. He was scheduled to visit Karukol village, 25 kms from Baghmara on the road to Siju, on Tuesday when he disappeared with his vehicle.
According to police sources, the trader was last seen in Baghmara town before his departure to the arecanut plantations in the villages of the region.
With militancy long gone from this remote region, the handiwork of petty criminals and kidnappers gangs are not being ruled out. Police have begun a search operation to trace out the missing trader and his vehicle.
Prior to last year’s pandemic shutdown and the much later opening up of the region towards the end of 2020, there had been a string of kidnapping cases involving petty criminals in and around different places of Garo Hills. In most cases, traders venturing out into village markets to sell wares or purchase produce had been prime targets.