Rajshahi Metropolitan Police’s (RMP) Detective Branch (DB) have arrested eight people, including a gold trader accused of purchasing stolen jewellery, in connection with a jewellery shop heist in Rajshahi.
One of the suspects was arrested in Khulna and the other seven in Dhaka, said Md Gaziur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) and additional deputy commissioner (Media) of RMP.
Police recovered 26 bhori of gold, 62 bhori of silver and Tk25 lakh in cash from gold trader Robiul Hasan, 45, who was allegedly involved in purchasing the stolen goods.
Robiul fell ill after his arrest and was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital under police guard, Gaziur said.
The arrests were made in connection with the theft at Karushree Jewellers in the Swarnapotti area of Saheb Bazar under Boalia Model Police Station on 19 June.
The arrested suspects are Rustam Ali Sheikh, 64, arrested in Khulna, and Swapan, 62, Ujjal, 37, Riaz alias Suman alias Sujon alias Gedu, 39, Abu Taleb, 45, Kalam Sheikh, 48, and Yunus, 45, arrested from different locations in Dhaka.
According to police, the gang had carefully planned the robbery and visited the area around four months before the incident.
They allegedly stayed at different hotels while posing as traders to gather information about the jewellery shop and worked out how to enter the premises and escape with the valuables.
Police said members of the gang generally used a mobile phone only once and SIM cards registered in other people’s names. They also frequently changed locations and allegedly carried out one or two major thefts a year.
On the morning of 19 June, around 10-12 members of the gang allegedly gathered in front of Karushree Jewellers and set up temporary stalls selling various goods, creating a crowd near the shop.
Using the crowd as cover, they allegedly opened the lock of a neighbouring jewellery shop and entered it before cutting through the western wall to gain access to Karushree Jewellers.
According to the case statement, the thieves broke into a safe and took around 200 bhori of gold, 1,200 bhori of silver, three boxes of gold nose pins and Tk20 lakh in cash.
Shop owner Turja Sarker later filed a case with Boalia Model Police Station.
RMP Commissioner Mohammad Faizul Kabir subsequently transferred the case to the DB for investigation.
The DB, cyber unit and CCTV unit worked together to identify the suspects, police said.
Based on intelligence and technological analysis, several RMP teams conducted raids in Khulna and Dhaka and arrested the eight suspects.
Police are continuing efforts to recover the remaining stolen goods and identify and arrest others allegedly involved in the heist
The arrested suspects will be produced before a court today (10 September), where police are expected to seek seven-day remand for each of them.
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