Police arrest five suspects for 12 million Taka armed robbery in Dhaka Uttara
Photo Collected
DHAKA — Police have arrested five suspected professional robbers in connection with the heist of 12.1 million taka from a DL Petrol Pump employee in the capital. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) confirmed the arrests following a joint operation by the Detective Branch (DB) and the Uttara Crime Division.
The suspects have been identified as Mohammad Elias Shikdar, 36; Mohammad Jafar, 36; Robiul Islam, alias Rubel, 34; Mintu Rari, 23; and Sagar Baroi, 40.
The incident occurred on the morning of August 9, when armed assailants intercepted an employee traveling to a bank near the Crowne Plaza hotel on Airport Road. The victim was carrying 12.125 million taka belonging to the DL Petrol Pump when he was assaulted and robbed. The pump’s manager, Abdul Karim, subsequently filed a case at the Airport Police Station against six to seven unidentified individuals.
During a press conference at the DMP Media Center on Saturday, Additional Commissioner of Police Shafiqul Islam stated that the gang operated using a sophisticated two-tier system. One team was responsible for conducting reconnaissance and selecting targets, while the second team executed the robberies. Investigators revealed that the suspects frequently impersonated members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to intercept vehicles, using stolen vehicle license plates and fake identification.
Police recovered 1.2 million taka of the stolen funds during the arrests. Raids on the suspects’ residences yielded a significant cache of criminal equipment, including RAB-branded vests, fake identification cards, walkie-talkies, handcuffs, two pistols, magazines, and various types of ammunition.
According to Additional Commissioner Islam, the gang members are career criminals with multiple prior records. Sagar Baroi, a habitual offender, is currently facing 13 separate criminal cases. Other members, including Rubel, Mintu Rari, Jafar, and Elias, also have pending criminal cases against them.
Investigators believe the group is responsible for a string of similar heists across Dhaka. While five members are in custody, police are actively pursuing the alleged ringleader, who remains at large and is reportedly linked to more than 20 criminal cases. Authorities suspect that at least six to seven other individuals were involved in the August 9 robbery.
Regarding the progress of the investigation, Commissioner Islam noted that the ringleader is believed to have taken the largest share of the loot, while the remaining funds were distributed among the other participants. Efforts to track the remaining stolen money and identify potential internal accomplices at the petrol pump are ongoing.
Following the arrests, a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate court granted a seven-day remand for suspect Sagar Baroi. Sub-Inspector Abu Bokkor of the DMP Prosecution Division confirmed that the order was issued by Magistrate Ariful Islam after the investigating officer from the Airport Police Station requested 10 days for interrogation.
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