Snatching on rise
Sudden rise in the incidents of snatching in the port city of Chittagong has created feelings of insecurity in the population.
At least 15 incidents of snatching took place in the city last month (June) while many of them remained unreported as the victims were reluctant to go to police station to file case.
A gang of armed snatchers took away Tk 5 lakh from trader Mohammad Musa from in front of the Janata Bank Colonel Hat branch under Pahartali Police Station on June 23 in broad daylight.
Musa, a grocer of Colonel Hat Market, along with another trader Sohag was going to deposit the money to the bank a few yards off his shop. The miscreants stabbed Musa and Sohag before snatching the bag containing the money. They managed to escape the scene in a CNG-run autorickshaw.
Trader Shyamal Dutta of Khatungonj was robbed of Tk 3 lakh the following day. Locals caught a snatcher identified as Mrinal Das red-handed while the other members of the gang managed to flee.
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police, however, arrested five people in this connection and recovered Tk 39,500 from their possession on June 26. Police claimed the money was snatched from trader Shyamal.
Four members of a gang involved in snatching money from Musa also got arrested from West Bakolia the same day along with the autorickshaw used in the snatching.
Sources at Chittagong Metropolitan Police said the snatchers are active at different city points including SS Khaled Road, Chittagong College Road, Paltan Road, MM Ali Road, Love Lane, CRB Road and Port Connecting Road.
The gangs, popularly known as “Tana Party” and “Malam Party”, use CNG-run autorickshaws in the crimes. Their main targets are passengers of public transports. Another type of snatchers on board autorickshaws target the pedestrians in quiet places while other type of snatchers mix with the crowd in busy areas to commit the crimes.
Over 15 organised gangs of snatchers active in the port city include Dhakaiya Alamgir group, Nur Alam Group and Mithu-Saiful group, said the sources.
Some snatcher leaders released on bail from jail are blamed for reorganising their gangs and giving rise to recent incidents of mugging. Most of the snatchers' gangs are based in city outskirts where they can hide quickly after committing the crimes, said sources in different law enforcing agencies.
Most of the incidents of snatching occur between 8:00pm and 9:00pm, the time of shifting duties of police personnel, they said.
Narrating experience of falling victim to snatching, Mohammad Saidul Islam, an employee of a private organisation of Anderkilla, said the muggers attacked him in front of Rima Community Centre at SS Khaled Road at around 9:40pm on June 21 when he was returning home from his office in a rickshaw and talking over cellphone. Saidul said three snatchers equipped with firearms and dagger intercepted his rickshaw amid crowd of vehicles.
He said the miscreants took away his cellphone at gunpoint and fled the scene in a CNG-run autorickshaw parked beforehand near the spot.
Flower trader Solaiman of Jamal Khan area said three armed snatchers intercepted his rickshaw at Chittagong College Road on June 5 when he was returning home. They took away his mobile set and other belongings after stabbing him in his back, he said.
Saidul and Solaiman blamed insufficient patrol by law enforcing agencies for the increasing number of such incidents at different points in the city.
They urged police department to take immediate step in this regard and rid the city dwellers of sense of insecurity prevailing among them.
Meanwhile, traffic department of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) has decided to launch a fresh drive against autorickshaws running without iron grill by July 10 to reduce the crimes using the vehicles.
CMP Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Faruk Ahmed said they would fine the autorickshaws that would fail to fix iron grills during the drive.
Most of the crimes are being committed using the autorickshaws, said the DC, adding that the crime will reduce to a significant extent after setting up the grill.
When contacted Rab-7 Commanding Officer Lt Col Sazzad Hussain said a special team of Rab is active to curb incidents of snatching and succeeded after arresting four members of a gang who were involved in mugging of Tk 5 lakh from trader Musa.
He said they have increased vigilance at risky areas and launched drives against the snatchers who are also involved in drug peddling.
CMP Deputy Commissioner (North) Banaj Kumar Majumder said a few gangs are involved in the crimes in the port city and a number of snatchers were arrested last month. “We are looking into the matter seriously and hope to bring the situation under control soon,” he said.
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