Guwahati: Basistha police arrested seven alleged members of an interstate vehicle-lifting gang on Friday, police said.The accused were identified as Rahit Thakuria of Nagaon; Naba Das of Kokrajhar; Manoj Thakuria, Ram Chettry and Asif Khan of Udalguri; and Dawood Haque and Bhaskar Kalita of Sonitpur.“The accused are allegedly part of an interstate vehicle-lifting network and were involved in stealing vehicles for a considerable period,” said Kapil Pathak, the OC of Basistha police station.Police seized a white subcompact SUV registered in Jorhat district, allegedly used in the crimes, and a motorcycle registered in Kamrup (Metro) district.“The mastermind of the operation was Rahit Thakuria alias Raj. They operate not only in Guwahati but also in other parts of Assam and neighbouring states,” the OC added.Police also recovered two bamboo sticks allegedly used to open vehicle locks, seven mobile phones and a screwdriver suspected to have been used to break locks.Pathak said the stolen vehicles were handed over to contacts in a neighbouring state, who allegedly facilitated their movement to other states.The arrests have provided leads into the alleged network’s operations, police said. Basistha police are investigating the gang’s possible involvement in other theft cases, identifying additional members and tracing vehicles allegedly stolen by it.“We have arrested them, a case has been registered at Basistha PS, and necessary legal formalities are underway,” the OC further added.
