Police Arrest 5 for Robbery Posing as RAB in Dhaka

Staff Correspondent; Crime 2024-12-13, 10:19pm

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Police have arrested five members of an organized criminal gang involved in a robbery in Dhaka’s Kakrail area on December 4, where the suspects posed as members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The arrests were made on Thursday across different areas of the city.

Authorities also seized a microbus and eight mobile phones that were used during the robbery.

The suspects, identified as Mohammad Sajjad Hossain (35), Mohammad Kabir Hossain (50), Mohammad Sharif (25), Mohammad Monir Hossain (40), and Mohammad Habibur Khandakar (38), were apprehended after a series of raids, according to a statement from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The incident began when Saiful Islam, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of Trasmil Company Limited in Demra, withdrew Tk 26 lakh from a gold jewelry shop in Tantibazar. Carrying the money in a school bag, he boarded a bus at Bangshal Chaurasta on the afternoon of December 4, intending to return to his home in Badda.

At a traffic signal near Kakrail, between 10 to 12 individuals boarded the bus and claimed to be RAB personnel. One of the suspects was wearing a RAB-branded jacket and carried handcuffs and a wireless set. The gang informed passengers that they were searching for a suspect on the bus. They then pointed to Saiful Islam, forcibly removed him from the bus, and made him enter a white microbus that was used for the robbery, according to the case statement.

After robbing him, the gang blindfolded and bound Saiful before abandoning him on the road in Demra.

Saiful Islam filed a robbery report at the Ramna Model Thana on December 11, triggering an investigation by the police.

Through CCTV footage analysis and intelligence gathering, police tracked down the microbus, which was found at ECB Square in the Cantonment area of Dhaka. The driver, Mohammad Kabir Hossain, was arrested.

Following his arrest, a raid was conducted at 1:40 p.m. in front of Al Razzak Hotel in Bangshal, where four more gang members were apprehended: Sajjad, Sharif, Monir, and Habibur. Police also recovered eight mobile phones that had been used during the robbery.

During initial questioning, the suspects revealed that they were part of a well-structured, inter-district robbery gang. The gang operated under the guise of law enforcement, carrying out heists across Dhaka and surrounding areas. Members followed a strict hierarchy, with leaders addressed as “Sir,” and loot was distributed based on pre-agreed shares. The gang consists of 10 to 12 members, each with specific roles in executing the robberies.

The arrested suspects have been sent to court, and the investigation is ongoing. Police are continuing their efforts to recover other stolen items and apprehend remaining gang members.