Rab
Rab arrests seven members of an alleged human trafficking gang
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested seven people, including an alleged chief coordinator of an international human trafficking syndicate, in simultaneous drives on Saturday night in Madaripur, Gupalgonj and Dhaka.
The arrestees were identified as chief coordinator “Rubel Syndicate” Md. Ashiq, known as ‘Euro Ashik’ , 25, Md. Azizul Haque,35, Md Mizanur Rahman Mizan, 43, Nazmul Huda, 31, Sima Akhter,23, Helena Begum, 42, and Polly Akhter,43.
The elite force said it also recovered 17 passports, 14 cheque books of various banks, Tk 56,670 in cash and other documents from their possessions.
Also read: Bangladeshi returnee from Mauritius files human trafficking case against recruiting agency
The drives came amid reports of growing incidents of trafficking people luring them with jobs abroad.
Some 43 people were killed / missing when a boat capsized off the coast of Tunisia on June 28-29 last month while going to Europe illegally. Besides, some 84 people were rescued from a wrecked boat off the coast of Tunisia. Among them were citizens of Bangladesh, Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea and Chand.
The deaths due to movements of illegal migrants on risky routes were critically highlighted in international and domestic media.
In the past too, RAB has been able to arrest several members of such Bangladeshi human trafficking syndicate. The racket takes huge amount of money by fraud from innocent people.
Also read: Law Minister seeks coordinated response against human trafficking
In the wake of the alleged fraud, cases have been filed by relatives of the victims in Bangladesh at various times. Complaints have also been received from several families who have gone missing at different times. Accordingly, RAB has intensified its intelligence surveillance.
Based on secret information, a special joint team comprising Intelligence wing of the Rab headquarters and members of Rab-8 battalion, carried out simultaneous drives in Madaripur, Gupalgonj and Dhaka from 10:00 pm on Saturday night and it was continued till 6:00 am on Sunday, said an official of the Rab headquarters.
Interrogation of the arrestees revealed that they have been involved in this crime for a long time luring the victims with lucrative jobs abroad. They work in collaboration with their foreign counterparts, he added.
SI of PBI held with Yaba
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) detained a sub-inspector of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) along with 11,560 Yaba pills from Bhellapara in Karnaphuli area of Chattogram.
The detainee was identified as Mohammad Masud Rana, who was serving as sub-inspector of Cox’s Bazar PBI.
READ: IU staff suspended after being arrested with yaba pills
During a regular check at Bhellapara check-post, the elite force intercepted a car on Sunday and detained Masud along with 11,560 pieces of Yaba tablets, said Dulal Mahmud, officer-in-charge of Karnaphuli Police Station.
Later, he was handed over to Karnaphuli Police Station early Monday.
A case was filed against him under Narcotics Control Act.
Sinha murder case: Pradeep, 14 others indicted
A Cox’s Bazar court on Sunday framed charges against 15 accused, including suspended Teknaf police station officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das, in the major (retd) Sinha MD Rashed Khan murder case.
District and Sessions Judge Md Ismail Hossain passed the order.
Read: Sinha murder case: Accused constable surrenders after absconding for 10 months
The court also fixed July 26, 27 and 28 for recording testimonies of witnesses, said Public Prosecutor of Cox’s Bazar District and Sessions Judge Court Faridul Alam.
It also rejected bail petitions of six accused, including ex-OC Pradeep and constable Sagar Dev.
The hearing continued for three hours starting at 11 am.
Earlier, the 15 accused were produced before the court amid tight security at 10 am. They were later sent back to jail.
Read: Sinha murder case: Police source Ayaz denied bail
Armanitola chemical warehouse fire: 2 owners held
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Monday arrested two chemical warehouse owners from Bagura and Dhaka city in connection with a case filed over the blaze in old Dhaka's Armanitola Friday.
The arrestees are the owners of the warehouse from which the fire broke out and left five people dead.
Mostafizur Rahman, owner of Moin and Brothers, and Mohammad Mostafa, owner of RS Enterprise, illegally stored flammable items and chemicals, Rab spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police Imran Khan said.
Also read: Armanitola building fire: One more victim dies
A special team comprising Rab intelligence and Rab-10 Battalion conducted a drive at Nandigram of Bagura at around 4am and arrested Mustafizur.
Another team of the elite force carried out a raid in the city's Uttara-10 at around 5am and arrested Mustafa.
During preliminary interrogation, both the arrestees said they had been storing chemicals in their warehouses but did not have legal permission to do so.
The fire broke out at a chemical storage facility on the ground floor of the six-storey Haji Musa Mansion early Friday, left five people dead and at least 35 wounded. It took 19 firefighters nearly three hours to douse the flames.
The case over Friday's fire was filed with Bangshal Police Station on the night of the incident.
Also read: 4 killed, 35 injured in Armanitola building fire
Illegal chemical warehouses, unplanned building construction, narrow alleys and having so many people squeezed into too little space make old Dhaka highly vulnerable to fire hazards.
In February 2019, a devastating fire at Wahed Mansion in Chawkbazar's Churihatta took away 71 lives; in June 2010, the Nimtoli blaze claimed 124 lives.
Illegal medical supplies seller busted by RAB; 9 arrested
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) conducted drives at three trading companies in the city and arrested nine people including owners of the organizations on charges of importing unauthorized medical devices and reagents and for selling and marketing those items after renewing expired dates through forgery.
The elite force also seized a large quantity of unauthorized, expired and counterfeit engraved adulterated medical test kits and reagents from their possessions.
Also read: RAB arrests drug dealers, recovers yaba, hemp
The arrestees were identified as owner of Biolab International Md. Shamim Mollah (40), manager Md. Shahidul Alam (42), and Md. Mahmudul Hasan (40); managing director of Exxon Technologies and Services Limited SM Mostafa Kamal (48); managing director of Hi-Tech Health Care Limited Abdullah Al Baki Shabbir (24), Engineer of Biolab International Md. Ziaur Rahman (35), Office Assistant of Biolab International Md. Sumon (35), its accountant Habibur Rahman, its office clerk Jahidul Amin Pulak (26), service engineer Md. Sohail Rana (28).
RAB arrests drug dealers, recovers yaba, hemp
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested five alleged drug peddlers and recovered 6,250 pieces yaba pills and 20 kgs hemp from the city’s Jatrabari area in two separate raids on Saturday.
The arrestees were identified as-- Md. Nurul Alam (52), Md. Jasim Uddin Ahmed (35), Md. Helal (27), b. Md. Shah Jalal (22), c. Md. Rajiv Talukder (29).
Based on secret information, a team of Rab-2 battalion started surveillance and set up a check post at Dakshin Kajla of North Duniya Biswa Road in jatrabari at around 6:30 am as the elite force came to know that a group of drug dealers was coming to Jatrabari area from the border area via Chittagong.
Also read: 51 arrested in DMP anti-drug operations
When Md. Nurul Alam and Md. Jasim Uddin Ahmed were about to passing the check-post, the elite force members challenged them and found 6,250 pieces Yaba pills searching their bodies at around 7:20 am.
4 Rab members detained in Dhaka for ‘demanding ransom’
Police on Friday detained four members of Rapid Action Battalion and a woman from the capital for allegedly demanding ransom from the family members of an abducted man.
Hatirjheel thana police detained them after receiving a complaint from the abducted man’s sister Rayana Hossain, 20. She informed the police that a person, claiming to be a Rab member, demanded ransom over phone for letting her brother Tamzid Hossain, 27, go.
Based on her information, the Hatirjheel thana police rescued Tamzid and detained the four Rab members along with the woman. However, their identities have not been made public.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam told reporters that three of the Rab members are from the army while the other is from the air force. They were sent back to their parent forces.
Director (Legal and Media Wing) of the Rab headquarters Commander Khandaker Al Moin said the Rab members would face action if the allegations against them are found to be true.
Replying to a question, he said the force does not take responsibility for any individual’s crime.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at Hatirjheel Police Station on early Friday by the victim’s sister, Tamzid went out of their Mirbagh residence around 9am on Thursday for Uttara.
Around noon, a man called her from an unknown number and introduced himself as a senior RAB official and told her that her brother was in their custody. The caller also threatened to kill her brother if they informed police.
The caller called again at around 1:30pm on Thursday and informed her that her brother was being interrogated at Rab office by senior officials and he might be killed in ‘crossfire’ if they did not pay Tk 2 crore.
Finally, they agreed to let Tamzid for Tk 12 lakh, according to the FIR.
People and police both to benefit from police welfare activities
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed on Thursday said general people will also benefit in various ways through the welfare-oriented initiatives which have been undertaken considering the welfare of the members of Bangladesh Police.
DGHS driver indicted in arms case
A Dhaka court on Thursday framed charges against driver of the Directorate General of Health Services(DGHS) Abdul Malek in an arms case.
Writer Mushtaq laid to rest
Writer Mushtaq Ahmed, who died in police custody on Thursday after almost 10 months of incarceration in a Digital Security Act case, was laid to rest on Friday night at Azimpur graveyard.