Robbery gangs are now employing diversionary tactics to fool people and rob them on highways setting up fake police check posts.
In the name of checking, the gangs stop vehicles on highways dressed as lawmen and commit crimes.
On Saturday night, detectives had arrested six members of such a robbery gang that making preparations to commit crimes by installing check post on highways wearing fake police inform and brandishing firearms.
“Acting on a tip-off, we arrested half of the gang members from a microbus bearing police tag at Shanir Akhra. They were about to go to the highway with full preparations,” Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam of Detective Branch of police, said on Sunday.
The arrestees were Julhas Hawlader, alias Saiful, 27, Moksedul Sarker, 30, Sohel Rana, 38, Jafar Ahmed, alias Hasmat, 30, Saiful Islam, 33, and Kabir Hossain, 35.
The gang members were carrying two sets of police uniforms, a wireless set, a pistol, two machetes and some sedatives, added the police official.
The arrests were made after carrying out raids and during primary interrogation, they admitted to committing robbery in the guise of police, Monirul said.
According to the joint commissioner, the crimes were being committed on Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet highways in such manner.
The disguised robbers had with them police equipment such as handcuffs, indicators, stop signs and uniforms.
They admitted that while robbing a goods-laden truck, they stopped the vehicle first in the name of security check.
Later, they held the driver and helper hostage at gunpoint and drugged them forcefully before transferring the goods to another truck.
“We investigated into such incidents in the last few years. A number of suspected traders of Polwel Super Market in the city’s Naya Paltan will be interrogated in connection with sale of police uniforms,” he said.
A DB official seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that there were only 40 shops in the super market on police headquarters’ list selling equipment to lawmen, but several other traders across the city were also involved in sale of such equipment illegally.
On Sunday, the detainees were shown arrest in a case filed with Jatrabari police station.
In another development, police arrested four members of a dope gang from Gabtoli in the capital on Sunday. The arrestees were Hossain, 32, Mintu Miah, 32, Mintu Hawlader, 30, and Lal Miah, 40.
The arrestees are the members of much-talked Imran Haji gang.
A large amount of sedatives used for doping were recovered from their possession.
A case was filed with Darussalam police station in this connection.