Auto-lifters nabbed, kingpin in Manipur

Shillong, Nov 15 (UNI) The Meghalaya police has busted an inter-state gang of auto-lifters, who were selling the vehicles outside the state on forged documents.

The Police here today said the gangmembers were nabbed following arrest of three persons from Silchar, Assam for their alleged involvement in lifting a vehicle of a senior political leader in Meghalaya.

The accused were from Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur, police said, adding that they have worked as private vehicle drivers there.

The trio, during the preliminary investigation, told the Police that six to seven persons, including a woman, were in the gang.

''We have zeroed in an Imphal-based businessman, the kingpin of the racket,'' a senior police official said.

Quoting the confessional statement of the trio, the police said the accused used to dispatch the stolen vehicles to a businessman in Imphal, Manipur and then sell them at Rs 80,000 for (Bolero) and Rs 20,000 for Maruti vans.

This year alone, more than 10 vehicles, were stolen by these auto-lifters from various parts of the state.

''The stolen vehicles were taken outside the states where another gang took charge of selling them and forge documents,'' the police official said.

Meanwhile, a team of Meghalaya police had left for Manipur to nab the kingpin.

UNI