Shillong, Nov 8: The State police has busted a gang involved in abducting and looting truck drivers by arresting three of its members in East Khasi Hills district.

Informing this on Wednesday, SP (City) Vivek Syiem in a statement said three people were apprehended by the special cell team at Mawlai Bypass after they had taken a truck driver from Lad Smit and under duress forced him to call his owner to pay the amount.

The arrest was made on November 6, with the help of members of the Meghalaya Traders Fresh Vegetable & Ginger Association and Khasi Jaintia Fresh Vegetable Suppliers Association.

Syiem said the operation was conducted after information was received that a gang 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.

There, they would abduct 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 by Google Pay to the vegetable suppliers who actually in this case are the abductors, he added.

The SP further said 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,” he said while informing that four mobile phones and one Maruti Swift Dzire have been seized from them.

He however said their involvement in other criminal activities cannot be ruled out.

A case has been registered with the Madanrting police station and investigation is on.

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