NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Sept 3 - A fake gold trade racket, run by a bunch of hardcore criminals, has been luring people from various places and cheating them of lakhs of rupees. The gang is allegedly operational in a cluster of villages under Nowboicha Revenue Circle of Lakhimpur district.
Not so remote from the district headquarters or the NH-15, this bastion of gold trade includes villages like Garchiga, Paandhowa, Teen-Thengiya and Silaneebari.
According to sources, the gang�s modus operandi is to lure potential buyers through phone calls by middlemen and to bring them to these villages to hand over the gold �mostly in form of a boat or a statue � in exchange of money worth several lakhs of rupees.
When a buyer arrives, they used to take the money and give gold-coated statues or boats or simply scare them away without giving any gold as promised in the deal.
Sources said that the role of the police from the nearest police station or outposts couldn�t be denied. The police are informed about the buyers returning from the villages with artefacts made of fake gold. The police nab the buyers on their way with the possession of fake gold artefacts and charge them of illegal dealings.
As a result, in fear of getting arrested, the duped buyers never file any case against those persons. The officials of all the police stations and outposts have a nexus with these illicit fake gold traders. According to sources, the officials get around 30 per cent of the total amount transacted in one such deal.
When contacted, the Lakhimpur Superintendent of Police, Brajenjit Singha, said that actions had been taken against such activities. He also called for a public awareness and movement against these illicit activities in these areas of the district.
