6 highway robbery gang members held; 2 victims rescued

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have detained six members of a robbery gang with locally made weapons and a bus from Narayanganj's Bandar and Rupganj upazilas Friday night, reports UNB.

They also rescued two robbery victims and seized a pickup truck from the gang.

The detainees were identified as Musa Ali, 40, from Narayanganj's Sonargaon; Naim Mia, 24, Abu Sufiyan, 20, and Md Mamun, 24, from the district's Rupganj, Md Shamim, 35, from Narsingdi's Shibpur, and Md Rony, 26, from Narsingdi Sadar.

RAB said the robbers took control of an egg-laden pickup truck on the Bhulta highway and drove it towards Madanpur on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, with their bus following behind.

The robbers also blindfolded the pickup truck driver and his assistant before throwing them from their bus. Later, RAB conduct a drive based on a tip off and arrested the robbers.

The arrestees, during primary interrogation, said they had long been involved in such. After a robbery, they used to sell the products at discounted prices.

"The robber gang consists of 10-12 members. They had been planning and executing highway robberies in Narayanganj highways," commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB headquarters, said Saturday.

During daytime, the arrestees would work as drivers, helpers, mason, and apparel workers. But as the night fell, they would team up and take control of goods-laden vehicles on the highway, he added.

Legal action will be taken against the arrestees, Al Moin said.