3 ‘fake govt officials’ held for extortion

Local people have caught three ‘fake environment officials’ while extorting money from a brick kiln at Nagarparh in Muradnagar upazila of Comilla and handed them over to the police, reports UNB.

The detainees are Mujibur Rahman, 70, son of late Abdul Aziz of Khaleast village in Munshiganj Sadar upazila, Khorshed Alam, 60, son of Rahim Baksh of Maheshpur village in the same upazila, and Swapan Miah, 50, son of Joynal Abedin of Uddamdi village in Matlabupazila of Chandpur.

Locals and police said identifying themselves as environment officials, the trio demanded money from several brick kilns in the upazila on Wednesday.

When they went to Anik Bricks, officials there challenged them and contacted the local office of the department of environment. As the environment office informed them that no one from it went on any a drive, locals, led by UP Chairman AbulKhayer, caught them and handed them over to police.

In last three days, they collected money from over 50 brick kilns in the district, said one of the detainees.

Legal actions would be taken against the detainees, said Md Arjun Miah, Inspector (investigation) of Muradnagar police station.