Cars that follow regular routes to and from school or work in Dhaka have now become targets for carjackers.
But this new breed of car thieves are doubling their returns on their free capital. They are stealing cars, extorting ransom for the cars from the owners, and then selling the cars to rent-a-car companies elsewhere in the country instead of returning them to the owner.
Gang members first chart out a car’s route. Then they do some homework, making lists of where and for how long the car pauses on its journeys. After stalking the car for a few days, the thieves steal the car using a master key, say law enforcement sources. It takes around 30 minutes to unlock and rob a car.
Carjacking gangs also target cars parked for many hours at shopping malls, banks and markets. In these instances, a gang member will follow the owner and driver of the vehicle in order to signal the member breaking into the car that the coast is clear. The gang member breaking in to the vehicle then makes off with the stolen vehicle.
The car thieves then seek ransom money for the car. The robbers give assurances to the owner that they will return the car in exchange for money. Eventually, they take the money but do not give the car back.
On July 8, Abdullah Al Mamun went to Chhinnomul Market in Mirpur 1, leaving his car in the parking lot. When he returned after 20 minutes, he found that his car had been stolen. The criminals later demanded Tk2 lakh over telephone and told him they would return the car for cash. But, they did not keep their part of the bargain.
The criminals took the money via bKash but did not return the car. Mamun lodged a complaint with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) 2 on July 12. Officials of the crime-busting agency arrested gang leader Abdul Alim, son of Abul Barek, from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area of the capital on July 18 and seized a motorcycle.
Officials later recovered Mamun’s car and two others from Agargaon. But they have not been able to retrieve the money.
RAB arrested six more car thieves from different parts of the capital and recovered five cars and one motorcycle on July 18, RAB officials said at a press briefing at RAB headquarters.
Alim, the arrested car thief, confessed that his group had been stealing cars for a long time, targeting cars from Mohammadpur, Uttara, Dhanmondi, Mirpur Mazar Road and Pallabi neighbourhoods of Dhaka. He also admitted to stealing two cars in Sylhet.
RAB officials later arrested other members of the gang, including Al Amin Islam Rubel, Md Jasim Uddin, Md Imam Hossain Shamim, Md Bachchu Mia, Azam Khan and Shohag Mia, from Mohammadpur area and recovered the five cars.
The gang had been working in Dhaka for the past five to seven years and selling the stolen cars to rent-a-car shops in Sylhet, sources said.
Law enforcement sources said another gang leader, known as bKash Khokon alias Khokon Mia, had come to light. They said he was the chief of three car-robbing gangs and lives in Shyamoli.
An officer of RAB 2, Md Raihan, said: “Legal action will be taken against the car theft gangs.”