Staff Reporter :
The unreasonable increase in the prices of daily commodities due to extortion under the guise of various organizations and law enforcement agencies has become a growing concern.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite force, revealed that an amount ranging from 200 to 300 Tk was being unlawfully collected from each cargo truck at multiple locations in the capital.
Commander Khandaker Al Moin, the director of RAB’s legal and media wing, addressed this issue during a press conference at RAB’s media center in Karwan Bazar on Sunday noon (February 4). He highlighted the prevalence of this illicit activity, particularly during the late-night entry of goods trucks into Dhaka.
Khandaker Al Moin informed that the prices of everyday products have risen unnecessarily, prompting increased intelligence surveillance.
Acting on gathered information, RAB conducted operations resulting in the arrest of 63 individuals caught red-handed while extorting money from trucks transporting goods, including vegetables, at various entry points and wholesale market areas in Dhaka.
The operations took place in several areas of the capital on Saturday (February 3), including Karwan Bazar, Babubazar, Gulistan, Dainik Bangla, Ittefaq, Tttipara, Kajla, Gabtali, and Demra staff quarters.
Among the arrested individuals were Javed, Arif, Abul Hossain, Billal Hossain, Ali Hossain, Rakib Hasan, Falan Mia, Sakib Ali, Bablu, and Raja.
During the raids, RAB seized 112,000 taka in cash, a laser beam light, jackets representing various organizations, including six city corporations, four ID cards, 41 mobile phones, and receipts indicating substantial subscription amounts.
Commander Al Moin pointed out that the discrepancies between wholesale and retail prices are contributing to the price hike, and illegal tolls and surcharges on transportation play a significant role in this issue.
The extortionists, organized under self-proclaimed leaders known as Izaradars, operate in groups stationed across different areas of the city nightly.
They even issue receipts for the extortion money and resort to vehicle vandalism, assaults on driver-helpers, and death threats if drivers resist.
The arrested individuals revealed that they send the collected money to the so-called Izaradars in exchange for a daily payment ranging from Tk 600 to 700 each.
