8 members of a teen gang held in Dhaka

Detectives claimed to have arrested eight members of a teen gang while they were allegedly preparing for a robbery in Dhaka's Mohammadpur area early today.

The arrestees were Md Azgar Ali, Md Tawhid, Md Bikash Hasan alias Hridoy, Md Akash, Md Jewel, Md Sagar Hossain, Md Abbas, and Md Amir Hossain.

Teen gangs have been increasingly engaging in extortion, mugging, robbery, harassment of women, and drug-related offenses, Md Jahidul Islam, acting deputy commissioner of the detective branch (Tejgaon division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) told The Daily Star.

Acting on a tip-off, the police team conducted a raid in the Mohammadpur area around 4:10am and arrested the eight members of the 'Lao Thela' gang along with local weapons, he said.

Police, in collaboration with the public, are working to bring such delinquent groups under the law, he added.

During primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they gathered in Mohammadpur to plan a robbery, said Jahidul.

Additionally, the arrestees have been accused of land occupation, hired muscle operations, and territorial dominance, he said.

The reckless behavior of these gang members has left residents in a state of fear and distress, said Jahidul.

Legal proceedings against the arrestees are underway, he said.

Jahidul further assured that similar crackdowns against robbery gangs will continue.