An officer of Mizoram Police on Thursday said last Friday, at least 17 Aizawl-bound trucks were stranded at Saifai near Vairengte in the Kolasib district of Mizoram due to a massive landslide on the Bhaga-Sherkhan Road. Taking advantage of bad weather conditions and remoteness of the locality, a group of dacoits robbed the trucks at midnight. The officer said the dacoits took away cash, mobile sets and other articles from the loaded trucks. They also beat up the truckers.
On the basis of an FIR filed by the victims at Vairengte police station, a police team led by OC J L Mahato started an operation in and around the area. However, they came to understand that the miscreants were from neighbouring villages in Cachar district of Assam.
On Wednesday, police from Vairengte in Mizoram and Dholai in Assam's Cachar district launched a massive operation at Karkatpunjee and Natcherra villages in Cachar and rounded up eight dacoits suspected to be involved in the crime. They have been identified as Samsuddin, Majibur Rahman Barbhuiya, Majibur Rahman Talukdar, Sahab Uddin, Rahim Uddin Talukdar, Abdul Haq Laskar, Gulzar Hussain and Abdul Kashim.
The arrested persons are being interrogated at Vairengte police station, a source said.