Foreign youths are sometimes seen fighting on battlefields as ‘proxy fighters’ wearing the uniforms of other countries’ forces. While Bangladesh does not have such frontline proxy forces, a particular gang has emerged as a menace on the roads. They possess everything from RAB or Detective Branch (DB) police jackets to handcuffs, pistols and walkie-talkies appearing exactly like official law enforcement raiding teams. When they force targeted individuals into vehicles, it seems as though a criminal is being arrested. In reality, however, members of these proxy groups are dangerous robbers, lying in wait on the roads for their targets.
On 25 April, a businessman named Salman Mahbub Joy was abducted in a microbus in Uttara Sector 15 by individuals posing as RAB officers, who then robbed him of Tk65 lakh. DB police have arrested two suspects in connection with the incident, one of whom is reportedly a dismissed police officer. Last Friday, RAB arrested two members of an organised robbery gang in Demra, Dhaka, while they were preparing to commit a robbery using law enforcement uniforms. Earlier, on 27 February, around 14 tonnes of steel rods were looted in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, after criminals set up a roadblock posing as DB police. Similar incidents of robbery and mugging under the guise of RAB, DB and other agencies occur frequently. According to Police Headquarters statistics, 133 robbery incidents were recorded nationwide in the first three months of this year, including 12 within Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) jurisdiction. Additionally, 439 cases of dacoity were filed across the country during this period, 76 of them in Dhaka alone.
Relevant sources say one group of robbers abducts victims under the pretence of being law enforcement officers and then loots everything from them. Another group conducts reconnaissance on affluent homes and carries out robberies under cover of darkness. Dismissed members of various forces are reportedly joining these gangs. To evade arrest, they use SIM cards registered in the names of slum dwellers and vulnerable people from remote areas. In cases of home robberies, special markings are drawn on roads after reconnaissance to guide operations.
Crime analyst and Dhaka University Associate Professor Dr Towhidul Islam said these criminal groups are becoming increasingly reckless by exploiting both the public’s fear of and trust in law enforcement agencies.
More cases, bigger shares: On the night of 6 August 2024, a notorious gang of 12–13 robbers looted valuables worth around Tk40 lakh, including gold ornaments and mobile phones, from the second floor of a house at 118/4 Bikrampur Cottage in Matikata, Dhaka. Recently, DB police arrested three individuals, including one of the gang’s key figures, Ali Hossain, alias Chora Ali, who is accused in 17 cases. It is learnt that their reconnaissance team would scout areas in the evening, select targets, and leave special markings on roads to help the operational team reach the location easily. After a robbery, those with more cases against their names would receive a larger share of the loot. To avoid arrest, they used SIM cards registered under the names of women from Bhashantek slum, and each SIM was used for no more than 15–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, RAB is giving the highest priority to combating organised crime, said Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, director of RAB's Legal and Media Wing.
He told this correspondent that it may take some time to completely eliminate these gangs due to their changing tactics, misuse of technology and operation in small, organised groups. However, swift investigations and arrests follow each incident, and intelligence surveillance alongside technology-driven operations is being used to dismantle these networks. RAB continues to prioritise bringing such crimes under control more quickly.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
