Motorcycle used in Uttara petrol pump robbery recovered

Highlights

• Five suspects arrested by DB in the case
• Agencies recovered at least Tk60 lakh so far

The Detective Branch (DB) has recovered a motorcycle allegedly used in the Tk1.21 crore robbery of DL Filling Station in Uttara on 9 August from a house in Nandipara, Khilgaon.

The Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle was recovered from the garage of the rented house at around 10:30pm yesterday (20 August) based on information provided by Sagar Barai, one of the suspects arrested in the case.

At a briefing at the DB office on Minto Road today (21 August), Md Elias Kabir, deputy commissioner of the DB’s Uttara division, said Sagar had initially told investigators that the motorcycle was kept in Gopalganj.

A DB team conducted an operation there based on his statement but failed to recover the motorcycle. During further questioning, Sagar provided information that led investigators to the house in Nandipara, he said.

According to Elias, Sagar had rented the house while posing as an Italian expatriate. After the robbery, he allegedly left the motorcycle in the garage and fled.

The DB has so far arrested five people, including Sagar, while the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested three others, including alleged mastermind Abdul Hakim Jomaddar alias Haikka Dacoit.

The DB has recovered four firearms, some of the looted money and other evidence from the suspects, the official said.

Sagar and another accused, Jalil, are currently in DB remand.

The DB official said Sagar’s family members left the Khilgaon house with their belongings after his arrest.

The DB is continuing its drive to arrest other suspects and recover weapons, he said, adding that more arrests could be made as the investigation progresses.

The robbery took place on the morning of 9 August in front of Crown Plaza on Airport Road when employees of DL Filling Station were taking Tk1.21 crore to a bank for deposit.

According to the case filed by the filling station’s manager Abdul Karim, six to seven armed men riding three motorcycles intercepted the covered van carrying the money.

They held the occupants at gunpoint, attacked assistant manager Mohammad Al Amin with a machete and fled towards Abdullahpur with the money.

According to RAB, Sagar received Tk14 lakh as his share of the looted money and was armed with a pistol along with Jalil during the robbery. The DB recovered Tk12 lakh from Sagar’s possession.

RAB also recovered Tk48 lakh of the looted money from Jalil, taking the amount recovered by the two agencies to at least Tk60 lakh.