The robbery in Dhanmondi was a meticulously planned operation, with criminals coordinating through a network of individuals posing as law enforcers, intelligence officers, informants, a magistrate, and even student representatives. Their primary objective was to steal a large quantity of gold and money believed to be hidden in the building of a jewellery trader in Dhanmondi, according to investigators.
Around 4:00 am on Wednesday, a group of 25 to 30 criminals stormed a six-storey building on Dhanmondi Road No 8, owned by MA Hannan, proprietor of Alankar Niketan Jewellers in Bashundhara City. The robbers made off with Tk 36.5 lakh and 2.5 bhoris of gold ornaments, as reported in the case filed with Dhanmondi Police Station.
"They posed as law enforcers, a magistrate, journalists, informants, and students to gain entry into the building, claiming they were conducting a raid," said Masud Alam, deputy commissioner (Ramna division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, during a press conference at the media centre on Thursday.
The police have arrested six suspects, including an army sergeant. Those arrested are Farhad Bin Mosharraf, 33, Yeasin Hasan, 22, Mobasher Ahmed, 23, Wakeel Mahmud, 26, Abdullah, 32, and Sumon, 29. The first four were detained at the scene, while the remaining two were arrested in the Hazaribagh area early on Thursday.
Deputy Commissioner Masud revealed that a significant amount of gold jewellery had been stolen from the shop in August of last year, and a case had been filed with Tejgaon Police Station regarding that incident. Investigators are now looking into whether there is any connection between the two crimes or if an employee of the shop was involved.
Shah Mostafa Tariquzzaman, assistant commissioner (Dhanmondi zone) of DMP, said that they suspect four to five of the robbers were the masterminds behind the heist. Three of the arrestees claim to be students of private universities, and their statements are currently being verified.
Wakeel, one of the arrested suspects, told investigators that he and another accomplice had gone to Dhanmondi for sehri at a restaurant when an acquaintance invited them to join a raid as student representatives. Police are currently verifying their claims.
According to the officer, the gang initially aimed to steal a large sum of gold and money from the building. However, when they were unable to find as much gold as they expected, they resorted to vandalising the offices of SM Sourcing, a buying-house, and taking Tk 35 lakh. Finding that insufficient, they then plotted to abduct Hannan, intending to demand a ransom. However, their plan was thwarted when locals and police arrived on the scene.
At that moment, six individuals, including security guards from a nearby under-construction building, assisted the police in detaining four of the suspects. In recognition of their efforts, the DMP has rewarded the six with Tk 5,000 each and has decided to appoint them to its auxiliary force. The awardees are Swapan Bhuiyan, 25, Bijoy, 40, Riazul Islam, 34, Delwar Hossain, 20, Siam, 18, and Tony, 20.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
