Staff Reporter:
Police arrested nine members of an alleged robbery gang for robbing Tk 38 lakh from a man at gun-point in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.
Joint Commissioner (Crime) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Faruk Hossain disclosed the information at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road on Sunday.
The arrestees were identified as Tanvir Abedin, 41; M. Mujibur Rahman, 60; Md Zakir Hossain alias Captain Zakir, 60; Md Solaiman Mridha, 55; Mohammad Kabir Hossain, 50; Abul Kalam Azad, 50; Md Zakaria Hossain alias Lenin, 40; Sajal Chowdhury, 31; and Saymun Chowdhury, 33.
Police said the gang robbed Khorshed Alam of Tk 38 lakh at gunpoint in front of Dingi Restaurant on Road No. 12 in Dhanmondi at around 2:10pm on Aug 30.
Two members of the gang—Tanvir Ahmed Jewel and Mujibur Rahman—were arrested while fleeing with the money with the help of locals. A locally made revolver and four rounds of ammunition were recovered from them.
Based on information provided by Mujibur and Tanvir, police later arrested Zakir in the Dakshinkhan area in the capital. Subsequently, six more members were arrested in separate drives in Patuakhali, Kuakata bus stand, Mohammadpur and Baitul Mukarram areas with the help of in-formation technology.
Police recovered Tk 3,45,350 from Zakaria and Tk 2 lakh from Sajal, totaling Tk 5,75,350.
Faruk said the gang allegedly lured prospective buyers by claiming that they had gold for sale. Af-ter the buyer brought money, the gang members would meet him at a location and later take him elsewhere for the supposed exchange of gold and money. They would then intercept and rob the victim according to a preplanned strategy.
In the latest incident, Khorshed Alam went to Dhanmondi with money to buy gold. During the transaction, he was taken by rickshaw to the area in front of Dingi Restaurant. Four to five gang members led by Lenin were already waiting there. Acting on a signal, other members blocked the rickshaw, assaulted Alam and took away the money before fleeing on motorcycles.
Among the arrestees, Mujibur Rahman retired as a Bangladesh Army sergeant, Zakir as an honor-ary captain and Solaiman as a senior warrant officer. Some of them had also previously served in RAB, police said.
Several of the arrestees have previous criminal cases. Tanvir Ahmed Jewel has four cases involving robbery and snatching, Sajal has six robbery and snatching cases, Zakaria has two cases involving drugs and murder/attempted murder, and Abul Kalam Azad has three cases.
Police filed separate cases under the robbery and Arms Acts with Dhanmondi Model Police Station. The drive to arrest the remaining absconding and unidentified members of the gang is continuing.
