Guwahati, March 4: The abductors of the sons of the manager of a tea garden in Assam’s Sonitpur district have been identified, police said today.

The army, paramilitary forces and police launched a search operation along the Indo-Bhutan border last night following reports that Barun, 9, and Karan, 12, the children of Monmohinipur tea estate manager Pamminder Sehra, were being held captive in these areas.

Deputy inspector-general of police (northern range) S.N. Singh said Bodo criminals were behind the kidnapping. He said the abductors called up Sehra last night and told him that his sons were safe and they would call up later. “The kidnappers have not made any contact since then,” he added.

Singh ruled out the involvement of the National Democratic Front of Boroland and said it was not known whether the kidnappers had made any extortion demand.

Tea industry sources had yesterday said that the NDFB had demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore from the Monmohinipur tea estate authorities.

Barun and Karan were on their way to the Army School at Missamari, 10km from the tea estate, when the abductors waylaid the vehicle the boys were travelling in on a garden road around 6.30am yesterday.

The DIG said the abductors had been identified and cornered in the neighbouring Udalguri district.

“We have identified about 40 villages in a certain area in Udalguri. We are conducting intensive operations with the help of army and BSF personnel in these villages and hope to secure the release of the two children very soon,” he added.

Udalguri superintendent of police A.K. Tiwari said the security forces were conducting door-to-door search in the border villages. Although the police ruled out the involvement of the NDFB in the kidnapping, sources said the criminals might hand over the two children to the Bodo outfit for safe custody.

“There are instances where the NDFB takes help from criminals to carry out kidnappings to avoid problems as they are in ceasefire,” one of the sources said.

Security forces in Sonitpur, Udalguri and Darrang districts were alerted yesterday and asked to keep a strict vigil.

The state government has warned the management of tea gardens in these areas to take precautions following a spurt of attacks on garden executives in recent times.