Shawdesh Desk:

Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, some organised criminal gangs are prowling the streets of the capital and committing various crimes under the guise of members of the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

Such criminals usually emerge during the holy month of Ramadan, when people flock to the capital and its adjoining areas to shop in preparation for the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Muslim community’s largest religious festival.

During this time, crimes mark a sharp rise on the streets in the capital and different areas of Ashulia, Savar, Tongi, Kanchpur and Keraniganj.

People fall prey to such crimes and lose gold ornaments, cash and other valuables.

Usually, pedestrians and commuters, who use slow-moving three-wheelers such as rickshaws, fall victim to such crimes.

The armed thugs wait in various strategic locations before swooping on their targets and fleeing with the booty. At least 12 such gangs are operating in the city, according to detective sources.

In most cases, the uniformed goons use a microbus and take a position with handcuffs and a walkie-talkie to attack their target.

They forcibly bundle victims into their vehicles and blindfold them after putting handcuffs on them. Then they loot all the valuables and drop them at the roadside in some desolate places, said the sources.

The criminals also target businessmen and demand a handsome amount of ransom for their freedom.

A few days ago, detectives arrested 11 such criminals with three vehicles, arms and ammunition from the capital’s Sabujbagh area.

The arrestees were identified as Md Yusuf Quazi, Md Alauddin Ali, Md Akash Rahman Mintu, Md Afsar Ali, Faruque Hossain, Md Abdul Malek Mia, Md Masud Parvez, Md Shahin Qazi, Md Liton Sheikh, Md Masum Gazi, and Md Aslam Sheikh.Recently, Sohag, manager of a private firm, fell prey to such a crime in the capital’s Kuril Biswa Road area and lost Tk 240,000.

After drawing the money from the local branch of the Mutual Trust Bank, the victim was waiting for a rickshaw at around 1:00 pm. As he began his ride in a rickshaw to his Vatara business firm, five criminals in the guise of DB men forcibly bundled him into their microbus. They blindfolded him and drove him to Uttara in a speeding microbus. They then took the money, threatening to kill him in crossfire if he did not comply, alleged Majedul Islam, the elder brother of the victim.

“We went to the Vatara Police Station to seek their help in this connection. But the police did not cooperate with us,” he also alleged.

When contacted, Faruq Hossain, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said, “As armed gangsters look like real detectives, innocent people usually fall prey to them and lose their belongings.”

“As a result of these reported incidents, several detective teams are now patrolling various streets throughout the capital and surrounding areas in order to apprehend these organised criminal gangs,” he said.