A constable posted at Bandarban district police lines put up an advertisement on Facebook to sell a motorcycle worth Tk5.5 lakh several days after it was snatched from a youth in Chattogram city, leading to his arrest alongside three others after the victim contacted him pretending to be a buyer.
The arrested constable has been identified as Anik Das, 27.
The three other arrestees are Waheed Mohammad Jebol Hossain alias Anik Waheed, 39, Mohiuddin Salim, 52, and Mohammad Waheed Nasir alias Diamond, 38.
A team from Khulshi Police Station arrested them during raids conducted in the city’s Bayezid Link Road, Pahartali, and Sitakunda areas on Tuesday night.
Police recovered the snatched motorcycle along with two other motorcycles used in the crime. Md Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Khulshi Police Station, confirmed the matter on Wednesday, adding that a case alleging abduction, robbery, and possession of stolen property was filed with Khulshi Police Station, and the arrested individuals were forwarded to court.
According to police, the victim, Marufur Rahman Opu, 22, was travelling towards Cox’s Bazar on a motorcycle with his friends on the night of 16 October. At around 1am, when they reached in front of Foy’s Lake Eye Hospital on Zakir Hossain Road under Khulshi Police Station, a maroon-coloured private car and two motorcycles blocked their way.
Several men got out of the car and beat Opu indiscriminately before snatching his motorcycle.
They then forcibly picked Opu up into the car, took him to the Shershah area under Bayezid Bostami Police Station, snatched his mobile phone, dumped him by the roadside with threats, and fled.
Golam Mohammad Nasim, sub-inspector of Khulshi Police Station, said a few days after the incident, a post offering the snatched motorcycle for sale was published from a Facebook ID named “Ahomi.”
Spotting the post, Opu contacted the account pretending to be a buyer, agreed on a price, and transferred Tk 5,000 as an advance payment.
As per the agreement, the motorcycle was scheduled to be delivered in front of the police box at the entrance of Bayezid Link Road on Tuesday. When constable Anik Das arrived with the motorcycle, Khulshi police set a trap and arrested him on the spot.
Golam Mohammad Nasim added that during questioning, Anik Das provided details regarding other members of the gang, leading to the arrest of the remaining three during subsequent raids in Pahartali, Bayezid Link Road, and Sitakunda areas.
Police said an investigation is underway to ascertain details about the private car used in the robbery and the specific roles of the arrested individuals.
