Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) has arrested six individuals in connection with the daylight robbery of Tk22 lakh from a money exchange trader in Mirpur, recovering Tk5 lakh in the process.
The arrests were made during raids conducted across various parts of the capital on Tuesday night. The arrestees are Md Zafar, Mostafizur Rahman, Saikat Hossain alias Dipu Mridha, Md Sohag Hasan, Md Jalil Molla, and Palash Ahmed. Police also recovered a foreign pistol, two rounds of ammunition, a machete, three toy guns, and a microbus used in the robbery.
According to police, on the morning of May 27, at around 9:30am, Mahmud Money Exchange owner Rasel and his brother-in-law Zahidul Haque Chowdhury were en route from their residence in Mirpur-11 to their exchange office at Mirpur-10 roundabout. They were carrying Tk21 lakh in cash and a black bag filled with foreign currencies.
Six assailants intercepted them near the stadium’s swimming pool and the fire service office. They shot at the trader and fled with Tk22 lakh.
Following a complaint filed by Zahidul at the Mirpur Model Police Station, DB launched an investigation into the incident.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday at the DMP Media Centre, Joint Commissioner of DB (South) Mohammad Nasirul Islam shared details of the arrests and recoveries. He said a BRTA record search led police to identify the microbus’s registration and owner, resulting in the arrest of driver Zafar. During primary interrogation, Zafar admitted to using the vehicle in the robbery. All six arrestees are identified as professional criminals with previous records involving robbery, murder, and firearms across multiple police stations in Dhaka and elsewhere.
Police recovered Tk5.03 lakh in cash, 106 assorted foreign currency notes, counterfeit money worth Tk2.12 lakh, three motorcycles, and the microbus used in the robbery from Tongi.
In response to a question, Joint Commissioner Nasirul Islam said the group had been monitoring the area for a long time. They closely watched the victim’s routines, noting when he carried large sums of money. On the day of the robbery, they observed that the bag appeared full and executed the heist. A HiAce microbus was parked nearby with 3–4 robbers inside, while others arrived on motorcycles. After committing the robbery, they fled using the same vehicles.
Nasirul added that, based on digital surveillance, multiple DB teams conducted raids in Dhaka, Barishal, Patuakhali, Mymensingh, and Jashore, arresting the gang’s mastermind Jalil Molla and key members Mostafiz, Palash, Dipu, and Sohag.
The investigation revealed that the gang was involved in several previous high-profile crimes. The accused confessed to a gold heist involving 53 tolas in Kamrangirchar on January 24, and a Tk52 lakh robbery in Dhanmondi’s Sat Masjid Road on October 20, 2024. The DB is continuing efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects and recover the rest of the stolen assets.