‘Mastermind’ of mugging gang which targeted people in auto-rickshaws in the capital arrested

Detectives claimed to have arrested the mastermind of a mugging gang which targeted people in auto-rickshaws and posed as co-passengers on different city streets.

Tajul Islam alias Taju, 30, was arrested around 3:00am from Dhaka's Keraniganj area, said Abdul Ahad, deputy commissioner (DB Wari Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Detectives said they came to know about the gang while investigating a case filed by a journalist who fell victim to the muggers on October 1.

The journalist was heading to his Sanarpar house in Narayanganj as co-passenger with two others from Motijheel area around 7:30pm. As the auto-rickshaw reached near Wari, the two persons beat him up and blindfolded him. They mugged valuables and cash from him and demanded Tk 4 lakh from his families using the victim's mobile phone, the DC said, adding the muggers dropped him in Postogola area an hour later.

Tajul during primary interrogation told detectives that they used to mug people in a similar way in Motijheel, Shyampur, Jatrabari and Gendaria area, the official added.