The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested four suspected members of a "Molom Party" or "Ogyan Party" (muggers who put ointment or other substances on victims' eyes causing short-term loss of vision) from the capital’s Badda area.
The arrested are Masud, Mamun Hossain alias Sattar, Sumon alias Musa, and another one called Sumon.
The gang was planning to target people visiting cattle markets in Dhaka ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
CID’s Special Superintendent of Police (Dhaka Metro South) Mohammad Kamruzzaman disclosed the information in a press briefing at the CID Headquarters on Monday afternoon.
The CID team, acting on a tip-off, conducted a raid on Merul Badda’s Bir Uttam Rafiqul Islam road on Sunday morning and arrested the four members of the gang, Kamruzzaman said.
A private car, a machete, a knife, rope, towel, sleeping pills, and toxic ointment were recovered from their possession, the official added.
They usually rob people on public transports or the ones visiting cattle markets by giving them sedatives or applying ointment on them, the CID official further said.
Kamruzzaman said: “In Dhaka and its surrounding areas, they hailed CNG auto rickshaws, and later stopped the vehicles at secluded places.
“They gave the drivers sleeping pills or put ointment on them before snatching their money along with their vehicles.
“We are trying to find the other people involved with the gang and arrest them,” he added.