By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 8: Police have arrested a few members of a gang who lured truck drivers and extorted money from their owners.
Superintendent of Police (City), Vivek Syiem said that police received information that a gang of people would lure truck drivers and convince their owners to buy vegetables at a lower rate.
They would take the driver somewhere near ISBT or Umiam for loading the vegetables and there, then abduct and take the driver to an isolated place in the jungle, and under duress, force the driver to inform the owner that the vegetables have been loaded and to send the money through Google Pay to the vegetable suppliers who actually in this case are the abductors.
With the help of members of the Meghalaya Traders Fresh Vegetable & Ginger Association and Khasi Jaintia Fresh Vegetable Suppliers Association, a team of the Special Cell East Khasi Hills conducted an operation taking swift action. Three persons were apprehended at Mawlai Bypass after they had taken the truck driver from Lad Smit and coerced him to call his owner to pay the amount. Police said that the gang has committed the same offence many times for which FIRs are being asked for and registered.
The Special Cell is on the hunt for the rest of the gang members who are still at large.
Four mobile phones and a vehicle were seized from the arrested persons. Their involvement in other criminal activities cannot be ruled out.