Smartphone theft on the rise in Haflong

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

HAFLONG, July 29:  Incidents of smartphone theft are alarmingly rising in Haflong. It is learnt that more than a dozen of smart phones belonging to the students and youths have been stolen from some specific crowded areas like auto stand, market etc. These have been reported to the police but till the date none was recovered. In most of the cases the incidents were gone unreported.

One of the victim of such theft said a gang of smart phone thieves has become very active in Haflong. Their tactic operation goes like; first three or four members (mostly girls) target their victim and follow him or her. When the victim enters any stall to purchase something members of these gangs create crowd gheraoing their prey, where another four members join.

Then raise some unnecessary arguments with the shopkeeper so that the customer who is also their target become confused, taking the advantage of the situation they easily stole the smart phone and disappeared without creating any doubts in the mind of anyone.

Thus Haflong market has become unsafe for the people. In fact, earlier not only Haflong, entire Dima Hasao was a place where people did not use lock and key on their doors while they went to travel other places outside the district even.

It is not only the cases of smart phone theft, but theft of money and valuable particularly from ladies bags are also being reported.

It is learnt that, this practice of smart phone theft in Haflong has started very recently.

Few years back, following some violent incidents, CCTV were installed in the Haflong market but due to indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned all the CCTVs are left out of order and no steps has been taken to reinstall the same for greater interest of the public. When it has become mandatory for most of the vulnerable places like market, shopping malls, and religious places of the state to remain under the surveillance of the CCTV, but here at Haflong all these places are devoid of such precautiory measures, alleged local people.