Pickpocket gang busted

Detectives yesterday claimed to have busted a gang which had a plan to send some of its operatives to Makkah to pickpocket hajj pilgrims from across the world.

“The gang was preparing to send at least four pickpockets during this year's hajj spending Tk 12 lakh with a target to cash in Tk 1 crore,” said Sanwar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday.

Three of the four pickpockets were arrested along with three others during a raid in the capital's Malibagh area, said DB Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam at a press briefing at the DMP media centre.

The three arrestees who were to travel to Makkah are -- Abdul Gafur, ringleader of the gang, Tutul Biswas Suman and Mohammad Ibrahim. The fourth one, Mohammad Raushan, was on the run, detectives said.

ADC Sanwar said Gafur was supposed to take half of the Tk 1 crore, if they could make the money picking pockets, as he had invested Tk 12 lakh.

Detectives also said that the gang, in other times, used to dope people with sedatives in and on the outskirt of the capital and take valuables from them.

Meanwhile, a DB team arrested six members of a dope gang, along with some food mixed with sedatives, raiding Shahbagh area around 7:45am.

The dope gangs usually become active ahead of religious festivals. At least six people were killed and scores more became victims after being doped ahead of last year's Eid.

Detectives arrested over 50 members of the gang before the last Eid-ul-Fitr.