Two Arrested in Katigorah for Stealing Iron Rods Worth ₹19 Lakh; Stolen Goods and Truck Recovered

Two individuals were arrested in Katigorah after allegedly stealing iron rods worth ₹19 lakh under the pretence of transporting them to Aizawl. The Katigorah police, acting on a complaint filed by the transportation company, successfully recovered some quantity of the stolen rods and the truck used in the crime. The number plate of the truck was changed to disguise the crime. Two people were also arrested in this connection.

According to the company, a truck loaded with 25 tons of rods left Guwahati on August 16, destined for Aizawl. The company was in regular contact with the truck driver, Farooq Ahmed Talukdar, who is also the owner of the truck, until August 23. However, when Ahmed turned off his phone on August 24, the company became suspicious and filed a complaint with Katigorah Police Station on August 25.

The police promptly launched an investigation and arrested two suspects: Farooq Ahmed from Najatpur and Rajib Uddin from Kalain’s Lakipur. Following their confessions, police conducted a raid and recovered several stolen rods along with the truck used for the transportation.

A transport company official reported to the media, “The truck was loaded on August 16 and departed for Aizawl with the registration number AS01BC423. During the trip, the driver, Farooq Ahmed Talukdar, who also owns the truck, called me on August 20 to say he had reached Kalain. They were delayed due to traffic congestion in Sonapur and had some tyre issues that required repair, so they decided to stay in Kalain and planned to leave on August 21. When I spoke to him on the evening of August 21, Farooq Ahmed said they were still waiting and would depart the next day. On August 22, he informed me they had left Kalain and were on their way. When I called again on August 23 at 5:30 PM, he said they had crossed Kolasib (Mizoram) and reached Khamrang, about 35 kilometres from Aizawl, and expected to arrive early the next morning”

However, the next morning the transport company found his phone was switched off. Initially, they thought it was some network issue. “I kept calling, thinking it might be a network issue, but the entire day went by without any response. The following day, when we still couldn’t reach them, we tried another number provided by them, supposedly belonging to the owner, but it was also switched off. That’s when we went to the Katigorah Police Station to file a report”, added the transport department official.

The police were able to recover the truck along with some of the stolen rods. The transport company official further said, “The truck’s registration number had been altered; it was different from the number it had when loaded. Out of the two individuals named Farooq Ahmed, one has been arrested, while the other is still on the run.” While the police continued to investigate the matter, the arrested Farooq and Rajib were sent to the Silchar court on Thursday.