9 arrested over 57 bhori gold robbery while posing as DB officers in Dhaka

Police arrested nine members of an inter-district robbery gang over the robbery of 57 bhori of gold from a jewellery trader in Dhaka’s Wari after posing as Detective Branch (DB) police officers.

A portion of the looted gold was also recovered during the drives, confirmed Wari Division Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Md Masud Rana today (7 June).

The arrestees are Shahidul Islam Majhi, 60, Abdul Malek, 55, Md Monir Hossain, 45, Yusuf Kazi, 65, Raisul Islam, 34, Ariful Islam, 34, Md Afzal Hossain, 30, Tinnath Pal, 38, and Ripon Pal, 36.

The information was disclosed today at a briefing held at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road by the additional deputy commissioner.

He said six of the suspects were arrested yesterday (6 June) from Ittefaq intersection in the capital while preparing for another robbery. 

Later, based on their information, police conducted drives in Jashore and Tantibazar areas and arrested three more suspects involved in the gold robbery.

Police also recovered 17 bhori of melted gold from the looted ornaments, Tk6.8 lakh obtained from selling part of the gold, two mobile phones, a toy pistol, two walkie-talkie sets, one pair of handcuffs, three DB jackets, two batons, one motorcycle and a microbus, he said.

Describing the incident, the police official said the robbery took place at around 10:20pm on 27 May, the night before Eid, near Rathkhola intersection on Nawabpur Road.

At the time, jewellery trader Haripada Pal and his shop manager were returning home carrying 57 bhori of gold ornaments and Tk1.47 lakh in cash.

Members of the gang intercepted them by identifying themselves as DB police officers and falsely claimed they were carrying illegal drugs, Masud Rana said.

The victims were then forced into a microbus, blindfolded and threatened with death before the gang robbed them of the gold and cash. The victims were later abandoned near Kamalapur Railway Station.

Following the incident, Haripada filed a case with Wari Police Station.

Masud Rana said police identified the gang members by analysing CCTV footage and later tracked them down using information technology.

A separate case has also been filed with Wari Police Station over preparation for another robbery, he said adding that drives are continuing to arrest other members involved in the robbery and recover the remaining looted gold.