DB arrests 7 members of garment cargo robbery gang

Detectives arrested seven alleged members of a garment cargo robbery gang during a raid in Dhaka's Uttara and Cumilla area.

A team of detectives of Tejgaon Division also seized 4,705 pieces of stolen products along with two covered-vans during the raids on Friday, AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner (DB) of DMP, said at press briefing at its media centre.   

The arrestees are: Shahed alias Sayeed, the ringleader of the gang; Razzak, Yousuf, Mainul, Al Amin, Dulal Hossain and Khairul.

Detectives came to know about the gang while investigating a case filed by Network Clothing Ltd on September 17 after robbers made away with over 5,000 pieces of finished products before the consignment reached to Chattogram Port.

The DB official said the exporter shipped 17,152 pieces of garment items in 1,431 cartons for overseas shipment. At the port, the factory employees counted and found that 5,000 pieces were missing.

While sharing about another robbery incident, Additional Commission Hafiz said another exporter, Jayanti Knitwear Ltd, on May 11 this year shipped 28,820 pieces of garment items abroad in 374 cartons through Chattogram port.

The overseas buyer found 20-40 products missing in each carton – nearly 11,000 pieces in total. The buyer fined Jayanti Knitwear $ 28,908 for this, which tarnished the international reputation of the organisation, the DB official said.

The DB official said ringleader Shahed is accused in at least 24 cases in Dhaka, Chattogram and other districts. He along with his accomplices stole apparel items from over 5,000 trucks and covered-vans.

Law enforcers said such robbery happens in connivance with the transport drivers on their way to Chattogram port from the factories.

The gangs used to stop the vehicles and unload a portion of the finished products. They sealed the cartons again and sent those to the port, which are later shipped to abroad.

Such crimes have been tarnishing image of the country's RMG sector in the international market, exporters said.