A container carrying garments from Tirupur to Chennai sea port for export was reportedly hijacked by some miscreants at Perungalathur, near Tambaram in Chennai yesterday.

According to a Tirupur Exporters’ Association (TEA) release, two of its members had sent garments worth Rs. 50 lakh in a container to Chennai for export. The container lorry was ‘kidnapped’ by some persons yesterday morning (Feb 6 at 4.30 AM) at Perungalathur, coming under the police station control of Peerkankaranai, near Tambaram, after assaulting the driver, who was abandoned near Sriperambathur.

The container lorry has not yet been traced, it said. It stated that the driver reached the Peerkankaranai Police Station at 1.30 PM yesterday to lodge a complaint and till now, the Inspector, refusing to register a complaint, asked the driver to go to Sriperambathur and give a complaint in that station where he was left by the kidnappers.

“We learnt that when an FIR is registered, the concerned station has to seriously trace the missing lorry and give the report, and that is the reason they are not accepting the FIR complaint,” the release claimed.

The association has sought the cooperation of the media and press, so that the police realise the situation of exporters who regularly transport containers to Chennai for shipment and will at least ensure the safety of the containers, and ensure immediate action in future, the release said.