Jaigaon: Police foils abduction plot targeting Bhutanese businessman

MP, 28 Sept 2024, Alipurduar: A kidnapping and extortion attempt was foiled by the Jaigaon police with one suspect arrested in the India-Bhutan border town of Jaigaon in Alipurduar district. 

The targeted victim Sonam Chopel is a Bhutanese businessman. He was threatened and held hostage for ransom after four men planted contraband items in his car. 

The incident occurred on Thursday night on Mahatma Gandhi Road, Jaigaon. Sonam Chopel, a businessman from Bhutan, had entered Jaigaon for business-related purchases. After parking his car on MG Road, he went shopping. During this time, four individuals unlocked his car, placed three cartons of banned cough syrup inside, and began monitoring his return. 

As soon as Chopel returned to his car, the miscreants approached him, posing as police officers. They “searched” his vehicle, uncovering the cough syrup they had planted. The businessman was then threatened with a drug trafficking charge and was initially asked to pay Rs 10 lakh, which was later negotiated down to Rs 4 lakh. 

The businessman was forced into his car and driven around various locations in Jaigaon. However, he managed to inform his friends about the situation over the phone on the pretext of asking them to bring the money. His friends quickly alerted the Jaigaon police, who launched a swift search operation. 

The police located Chopel’s car and set a trap for the kidnappers. One of the miscreants, Samuel Subba from Jaigaon, was arrested when he went to collect the money. The remaining three suspects fled the scene, leaving the businessman unharmed when they spotted the police. Samuel Subba was produced in the Alipurduar district court and has been remanded to police custody for three days. 

The Jaigaon police, in coordination with Phuntsholing Police Station in Bhutan, ensured Chopel’s safe return. Jaigaon additional superintendent of police Manbendra Das stated: “We successfully rescued the Bhutanese businessman after receiving the information. 

One suspect has been arrested, and a search is going on for the remaining individuals.” Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bengal-set-to-lead-revolution-in-semiconductor-technology-mamata-581308?infinitescroll=1