Staff Reporter :
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Rampura Thana Police have apprehended four members of a gang suspected of orchestrating the murder of an auto-rickshaw driver and pilfering hundreds of battery-operated auto-rickshaws from the Banshri area of the capital.
The incident, which occurred on April 8 around 9 pm, saw the gang hiring a rickshaw from driver Shah Alam Mia under the guise of a travel contract, only to abscond with the vehicle midway through the journey.
The arrested individuals have been identified as ring leader Shariful Islam (32), along with his cohorts Chandu Mia (40), Ful Mia (59), and Md Al Amin (38), all of whom are allegedly involved in a spree of stolen rickshaws. Additionally, seven stolen rickshaws were recovered during police raids conducted in various areas of Mugda Manik Nagar and Narayanganj of the capital on May 4.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DC) of Motijheel Division of DMP, Hayatul Islam, provided details of the arrests during a press conference held at the DMP Media Center on Minto Road in the capital on Sunday (May 5).
According to Hayatul Islam, mastermind Shariful Islam employed a cunning method of theft by administering sleeping pills to auto-rickshaw drivers before absconding with the vehicles. Having previously worked as a covered van driver, Shariful turned to auto-rickshaw theft after losing his job nine months ago when the owner sold the covered van.
Operating on a weekly basis, the gang would hijack at least four rickshaws every week, targeting unsuspecting drivers like Shah Alam. On April 8, two passengers boarded Shah Alam’s rickshaw from Rampura’s Banshri area, only to render him unconscious and make off with the vehicle mid-journey.