Staff Reporter:
Police have arrested two alleged professional muggers in connection with the brazen snatching of bags and valuables from two sisters outside their residence in Mohammadpur after they returned to Dhaka from their Eid holidays.
Police said the suspects were members of a professional mugging gang who previously lived in Mo-hammadpur but later shifted their base to Narayanganj to evade arrest while continuing to carry out muggings in the area.
A pickup van used in the crime, a machete and some of the stolen items have been recovered, although a trolley bag and a mobile phone remain missing.
Fazlul Karim, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Tejgaon Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Po-lice (DMP), disclosed at a press briefing held at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road on Wednesday.
The incident occurred around 3:40am on May 31 when the two sisters returned to Dhaka from Thakurgaon after spending Eid holidays there. After getting off a vehicle with their belongings in front of their residence on Nurjahan Road in Mohammadpur, three men arriving in a pickup threatened them with a machete and snatched a trolley bag, a handbag and another bag before fleeing.
Police came to know about the incident through the national emergency service 999 and launched an investigation by collecting CCTV footage from the surrounding area. One of the victims later filed a case with Mohammadpur Police Station.
ADC Fazlul Karim said investigators first arrested Jewel after CCTV footage showed him loading the stolen bags into the pickup. Based on information provided by him, police conducted a raid in Bandar area of Narayanganj and recovered the pickup and machete used in the hijacking.
Police said Jewel has five cases filed against him at different police stations, including two narcotics cas-es, one robbery case and two cases related to violence against women and children, all currently under trial.
Later, another suspect, Anwar, was arrested in connection with the incident.
Fazlul Karim said police patrols have been strengthened in Mohammadpur and adjoining areas, particu-larly around bus stands and locations where passengers arrive in the early hours.
He added that special drives are being conducted daily to curb crime.
Assuring city residents, he said there was no reason to panic and that Dhaka Metropolitan Police re-mained committed to public safety.
