Rab captures 10 members of mall robbers' gang
Staff Correspondent
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in a series of raids yesterday arrested 10 members of an organised gang of robbers who confessed to having committed at least 15 big heists and robberies including those at Maskat Plaza in Uttara and Alam Market in Gulshan in the capital. The Rab also seized over Tk 2.18 crore, 10,000 US dollars and 125 tolas of gold ornaments during the raids. The detained robbers at a press briefing organised by Rab yesterday admitted that they used to commit robberies after getting their members recruited as security guards in different private security companies. The gang then used to appoint some of their female members who would persuade the security supervisors to put their members to duties at big market places. Addressing the briefing at the Rab Headquarters, Commanding Officer of Rab-1 Syed Sayedid Saklayen said following increase in the number of robberies in jewellery shops in different markets in the capital Rab started gathering intelligence in 2005 to detect the gangs. Rab-1 recently identified three such gangs that prompted the elite force to conduct yesterday's raids. Rab first arrested gang leader Syed Nasiruddin alias Jashim, 32, from a house at South Dania early yesterday. The Rab also recovered Tk 63.70 lakh and some equipment used in robberies. Following Nasir's confession, the Rab also seized Tk 1.55 crore, 10,000 US dollars and 125 tolas of gold ornaments that he kept hidden inside an unused commode in his residence at Tikatuli in the capital. Qwami Madrasa educated Nasir admitted that the money and gold ornaments are looted goods, Rab officials said. Later six other teams of Rab-1 started massive raids in Dhaka and other parts of the city as per information given by Nasir and arrested his close associates Shamim Khan alias Shamim, 28, Nizam Shikder alias Enayet Karim alias Nizam, 40, Abdul Mannan Shikder alias Kalu, 45, Abdul Malek Talukder, 42, Sohrab Shikder, 32, Babul Sheikh alias Gas Babu, 18, who used to operate gas cutter during robbery, Mohammad Jewel, 20, Sabuj Talukder, 40, and Probir Ghosh alias Babu, 50, a gold trader who used to buy the looted ornaments. The leaders of Bangladesh Jewellery Association led by its president MA Wadud Bhuiyan met Rab Director General Hassan Mahmood Khandkar and requested him to take necessary steps so that the arrested robbers get punishment. The Rab DG assured them of taking proper legal action.
| 
