Adabor Police Station has arrested nine active members of a gang involved in kidnapping and demanding ransom in the capital’s Mohammadpur and Shyamoli areas, police said on Wednesday.
The arrested are Zahid Hossain (20), Hossain Ahmmed alias Sifat (25), Yasin alias Azman (27), Ariful Islam (23), Mahim Chowdhury Akash (20), Shakib (24), Sohel Rana (24), Md Naim (23), and Md Mortuza Tamim (26).
According to police, on Tuesday morning around 11am, a young man named Sadman Sakib (27) arrived at Shyamoli Bus Stand to go to Dhaka University. The gang blocked his path, threatened him with sharp knives, and took him to a narrow alley near a Bata showroom, where they held him captive.
The kidnappers attempted to snatch his cash and mobile phone and demanded a ransom of Tk50,000 from his family. When the victim refused, they beat him and threatened to seriously injure him with a knife.
Sensing the presence of patrol police, the kidnappers tried to flee. Police, with the help of local people, arrested one gang member, Zahid Hossain. Later, analysing information provided by him and using information technology, police arrested the remaining eight members.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the gang had been blocking pedestrians and kidnapping them for ransom in the Shyamoli Mor, Shyamoli Ring Road, Shyamoli Housing, and surrounding areas.
Legal action against the arrested individuals is underway, police added.
