Staff Reporter:
Rapid Action Battalion-1 (RAB) claimed to have arrested 32 extortionists red-handed at the time of extorting from drivers-helpers of motor vehicles, including vegetable-laden ones, in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur from Wednesday night to early on Thursday.
Lt Col Muhammad Mostaq Ahmad, commanding officer (CO) of the battalion-1, revealed this to reporters at his office at Uttara of the capital on Thursday.
The arrestees are Rakib Hasan Rabbi, 20, Tutul Islam, 19, Emon, 18, Yusuf, 22, Zonayed, 19, Siam, 18, Habibullah, 35, Zihadur Rahman, 24, Jahidul Islam, 24, Akash Mia, 26, Nannu Hossain, 27, Masud, 40, Razib Sarkar, 32, Zakir Hossain, 41, Amjad Hossain, 55, Ismail Sarkar, 42, Shahed Sarkar, 30, Mostafa, 35, Abul Kalam, 50, Sohag Mia, 37, Masum, 35, Anis Mia, 35, Rabbi, 19, Joydeb Sutradhar, 20, Faruk Ahmed, 38, Mohammad Swapan, 40, Zulhaz, 30, Mehedi Hasan Hridoy, 23, Mohammad Ibrahim, 46, Anwar Hossain Babu, 45, Sabuj Mia, 37 and Monir Hossain, 35.
Over Tk1.02 lakh which was extorted, six torch lights used to stop vehicles, 29 extortion collection receipts, 25 mobile sets and some other things were seized from their possession.
“The arrestees in several groups extorted the drivers and helpers particularly of goods-laden vehicles on highways in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur. They provided extortion receipts in some cases. If any driver or helper refused to meet their illegal demand, they tortured him and vandalised his vehicle” said the RAB officer.
On the amount of extortion, he said that they took Tk 200-300 from each goods-laden vehicle per trip.
