Guwahati police busted a major gold theft racket on Monday night in Kahilipara, apprehending five individuals, including two thieves and three city-based jewelers.

According to sources, the two thieves stole gold valued at Rs 7 lakhs from a house in Kahilipara on July 8, an act that was captured on CCTV. Following this, the police launched an extensive manhunt.

The investigation led to the arrest of the culprits, revealing that the stolen gold had been sold to the jewelers in the Lakhtokia area for Rs 5 lakhs. The police recovered the stolen gold, which had been melted into a plate, along with a motorcycle, tools used in the theft such as screwdrivers and wrenches, and melee weapons.

The two arrested thieves have been identified as Xun Kumar Das from Satgaon and Lal Chandra Ali from Barpeta, while the jewellers are – Akbar Ali, Nirmal Mandal, and Jivan Karmakar.

An investigation to unearth further linkages is on.