A couple of years ago, Alauddin Alo was a nobody in Chittagong, living in poverty and barely managing three meals a day. Now, he is a millionaire and a role model among the rising criminals in the port city.
Alo’s name and “fame” came from the dark world of crime in Chittagong. He earned an impressive amount of wealth in the span of two years by selling stolen mobile phones and dealing drugs, especially yaba, according to Chittagong police.
A middle-aged man, Alo’s name first popped up when a mobile thief named Sher Ali, arrested by Sadarghat police on July 21, confessed before a Chittagong court that he had sold stolen mobile phones and a laptop to Alo.
Based on Sher Ali’s statement, police then started looking into Alo’s background and found out about his rapid rise out of poverty.
Sources at the Detective Branch of police said Alo owns a two-storey building – without a holding number – in the city’s Dhopar Pukurpar area. But he lives in a rented flat in Khulshi, a posh residential area in Chittagong, as the Dhaka Tribune found out.
He also owns a motorcycle, a car, two microbuses and shops in Reaz Uddin Bazar, a hub of criminals in Chittagong, police said.
One of the shops, Zunayed Telecom, co-owned by Alo and his brother Zunayed Zunu, is at Tamakumundi Lane in Reaz Uddin Bazar. He has another nameless shop at Bata Goli in the same market, police said.
The Dhaka Tribune learned that he has one more shop in Tamakumundi Lane, which Alo claimed to have sold months ago when the Dhaka Tribune contacted him over phone.
Kotwali police said Alo started as an ordinary staff in a mobile shop in Tamakumundi Lane, where he came in contact with many mobile thieves.
He purchased stolen mobile phones from the thieves and sold them to people. Soon, he was able to get a shop of his own, which he made his base for stolen goods trade.
There are claims that Alo is also involved with drug smuggling with his brother as his accomplice, said Santos Kumar Chakma, sub-inspector at the Detective Branch.
“Based on the information received, police will take action against all who are involved with criminal activities,” said Shah Alam Rouf, assistant commissioner of the Kotwali circle at Chittagong Metropolitan Police.
Police are also getting information from Tamakunundi Lane Bonik Samity in this regard.
“We have warned Alo and others involved in criminal activities several times. We are also helping police with information about them,” said Mahmudul Haque, general secretary of the association.
However, talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Alo claimed it was all a conspiracy against him.
“I am an ordinary businessman and a victim of trade politics. Police intentionally included my name in the case filed with Sadarghat police following the instructions of some influential people,” he said.
But when asked about how he was able to amass such a wealth in such a short period of time, he said he was not obligated to provide the details to the Dhaka Tribune.