Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 29 2010:
Contents of a truck loaded with cooking oil, ghee and other food items have gone missing after the vehicle was reportedly hijacked from Mantripukhri area some days back.
Even though the truck has been recovered from Irilbung area yesterday morning all the goods were found missing.
The truck (MN04/A2951) had arrived from Guwahati and was carrying goods estimated to be about Rs 6.30 lakhs.
According to a police source, the truck was hijacked from Mantripukhri area on January 27 evening by four unidentified armed persons who reportedly came in a Maruti Van.
It is informed that the driver and his assistant parked the vehicle in Mantripukhri section of the National Highway 39 awaiting entry time into Thangal Bazar to unload the goods at the distributor's godown.
Heavy commercial vehicles are allowed to enter Imphal market areas after 7.30 pm.
Information received from Anjana Distributors, Thangal Bazar suggest that the truck was loaded with 705 jars of refined oil (Nature Fresh brand) of 15 litres each besides ghee, jeera, hing and papad from Kargil Foods Ltd., Guwahati and was heading towards Imphal on January 23 .
As per account of proprietor of Anjana Distributors, the truck operates under Balaji Goods Carrier near Sani Mandir (Khoyathong Road) and at Guwahati rate the goods' total worth is Rs 5.60 lakh.
Including transportation charge and other expenditures the value of the same quantity at Imphal is about Rs 6.30 lakhs, the proprietor maintained.
It is also informed that information was conveyed on the driver's mobile phone regarding the truck parked at Mantripukhri at 5.30 pm of January 27 .
However, the very next morning (jan 28), the truck owner Md Riyajuddin (38) from Lilong Khunou Tairen Makhong along with the assistant driver Md Sukur Khan (18) of Sangaiyumpham Terapur reported loss of both the truck and the load to the distributor.
After the matter was reported to Imphal East district police the vehicle without its load was found abandoned at about 11 am yesterday at Chanam Sandrok, under Irilbung police station.
Heingang police have registered a case and further investigation has begun as to how the goods have disappeared or who are involved in it.
meanwhile, police quoted Md Sukur as saying that after the truck was hijacked by the Maruti Van borne individuals and riven along the Indo-Burma NH-39, he was asked to alight at Canchipur area on the intervening night of Jan 27-28 .
Whereabouts of the driver namely Md Sanayai (29) from Kwakta could not be confirmed till date neither is communication possible as his mobile phone is in switch-off mode.