Police have arrested two individuals and recovered 17,500 Saudi Riyals along with Tk90,000 following a theft targeting a pilgrim couple at the Ashkona Hajj Camp.
The details of the operation were shared during a press briefing held at the Hajj Camp in the capital on Friday. The arrested suspects have been identified as Habibur Rahman and Nadim.
The briefing was attended by the Director of the Hajj Office, Md Lokman Hossein; Deputy Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Uttara Division, Mirza Tareq Ahmed Beg; and Matlab Circle Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Jabir Husnain Sanib, among other senior officials.
The incident dates back to 22 April, when 22,000 Saudi Riyals and Tk10,000 were stolen from the bag of a pilgrim, Md Iman Ali, at the camp. CCTV footage revealed a man disguised as a pilgrim, wearing a Panjabi and Pyjama, stealing the funds using a deceptive technique before escaping.
Following the theft, the Minister for Religious Affairs, Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, personally provided 2,000 Riyals to the couple, allowing them to travel to Saudi Arabia on their scheduled flight. The victim’s son subsequently filed a case at the Airport Police Station against unidentified persons.
The resolution of the case followed an intensive investigation involving information technology and intelligence. Based on information provided by City SB DIG Mir Ashraf Ali, an operation was launched yesterday afternoon in the Matlab area to apprehend Habibur Rahman.
Utilising radio location tracking, the police pursued the suspect from Matlab to Daudkandi in Cumilla, then through Gazaria in Munshiganj, and finally to several buildings in the capital’s Khilkhet area. Habibur was eventually detained at 2:40 AM.
His subsequent interrogation led to the arrest of Nadim in the Station Road area of Tongi. Information from the suspects led police to raid two residences belonging to the alleged mastermind, Abdul Mannan. While Mannan evaded capture, 17,500 Saudi Riyals were recovered from the home of his eldest daughter Mukta’s husband, and Tk90,000 was seized from the residence of Mannan’s second wife.
The joint operation was led by Matlab Circle ASP Jabir Husnain Sanib and a team from the City SB (North), headed by Special SP Md. Rezaul Karim.
The primary planner, Abdul Mannan, remains at large, and efforts to apprehend him are continuing. From Makkah, Saudi Arabia, the victim, Iman Ali, expressed his gratitude to the Minister for Religious Affairs and law enforcement agencies upon hearing of the recovery and called for exemplary punishment for those involved.
