Taking notes from a heist movie!

On Sunday, four youths stormed into a roadside medicine shop in the port city at midnight and held the staff hostage at gunpoint. They then took cash and mobile phones, and fled the scene in a car.

This was just one of at least 20 robberies and muggings they conducted in two consecutive nights, on February 6 and 7. The gang was inspired to embark on this crime spree after watching a movie, according to law enforcers.

After conducting separate drives for 96 hours, police arrested the four in connection with the incidents from different areas yesterday.

The arrestees are Md Belal Hossain Aslam (27), Tanvir Islam Rukun (27), Sohel Uddin (28) and Mohiuddin Kamal (28). Aslam is a mason, and Sohel and Kamal are drivers.

During investigation, Baizid Bostami police found that the gang robbed and mugged multiple pedestrians and local shops across the port city during this period.

Investigators said the car they were using was snatched from Sitakunda upazila's Banshbaria area on Saturday night.

OC Md Kamruzzaman of Baizid Bostami Police Station said, "So far, we have found that the gang conducted at least 20 robberies and muggings with the stolen car." The criminals plotted everything after watching a movie recently.

According to investigators, the group, pretending to be passengers, boarded the private car in Alangkar area and held the driver hostage on Dhaka-Chattogram highway. They then snatched the car. The criminals later came to Baizid area, robbed the medicine shop, and took Tk 59,000 cash and electronic devices.

"The criminals robbed and mugged in Baizid, Nimtala-Customs, Halishahar, Muradpur, Sholoshahar, Bakalia and Kaptai Rastar Matha-Kazir Hat areas," said OC Kamruzzaman.

"Every night, they started their operation at 11:30pm and continued till 5:30am. They would then park the car in front of Chattogram Medical College Hospital," added the OC.

The car, 10 mobile phones, a makeshift gun, four cartridges, a knife and wrench were seized from their possession. They stand accused in different cases, including drugs and arms cases.