Inconspicuous thieves on the hunt in capital

To work, a section of domestic helps only choose those houses where elderly people or children mostly live.

Within a day or two of being employed, they drug residents of the house with high-powered sedatives to loot the house in absence of other family members.

A team of Wari Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) made the disclosure yesterday, after arrest of five members of a gang involved in stealing valuables from houses in such manner.

The arrestees are Beuty Begum (33), her husband Khorshed (35), Asadul Islam (36), his wife Ripona (35) and Faruk Ahmed (62).

Police arrested them from Dhaka's Shyampur and South Keraniganj areas on Saturday, said Shah Iftekhar Ahmed, deputy commissioner of Wari Division of DMP.

Gold ornaments including two bangles, a chain with locket, two earrings, a necklace, a nose pin; Tk 91,000 in cash and a large amount of sedatives were seized from their possession, said the DMP official.

A case was filed with Ganderia Police Station regarding in connection with the incident.

Moyna was first arrested, and later the others were apprehended upon information gleaned from her, said police.

The gang members get employed at houses only when they are informed by locals or security guards that the husband and wife are service holders and elderly people or children live alone at the homes, said the law enforcers.

Yesterday, a Dhaka court placed the five arrestees on a three-day remand each when they were produced before it, Hannanul Islam, senior assistant commissioner of Wari Division of DMP, told The Daily Star.

During interrogation, Moyna admitted that on the second day of being employed in a house, she drugged all family members and looted Tk 2.7 lakh and 25 tola gold on March 10, said police.

Of the gang members, Moyna and Ripona used to work at houses, Asadul collected sedatives and Khorshed sold looted items in Tantibazar, said AC Hannanul.

"We have already arrested a jewellery shop owner named Faruk and are interrogating him," he said.

Hannanul said Khorshed also sold 25 tola of ornaments to Faruk, which was confirmed by the jeweller.