Launch ‘turned into a floating brothel’: Rab
96 arrested from vessel on Buriganga for ‘taking drugs, gambling’
Rapid Action Batallion (Rab) has claimed to have arrested 96 individuals on charges of taking drugs and gambling in a launch on the river Buriganga on Friday.
This group has been committing such crimes in the name of "river cruise" for a long time, Rab-10 Commanding Officer Mahfuzur Rahman told The Daily Star.
They also seized the launch named MV Royal Cruise-2, said the Rab officer.
The arrest was made following a daylong drive on the river, he said.
Rab said the arrestees hired the launch in the name of river cruise to Chandpur. Around 49 females were among them, said the elite force.
Many took yaba pills while some drank liquor during their journey, they added.
Rab claimed to have recovered 130 yaba tablets, 105 litres of local liquor, two bottles of foreign liquor, and lubricant from the launch.
"They turned the launch into some sort of floating brothel," said Mahfuzur Rahman.
Several of the arrestees told Rab that they chose the technique after law enforcers strengthened their vigilance in city clubs following drive against casinos, said the Rab officer.