Police detained four members of "molom party" or "ogyan party" (muggers who put ointment or other substances on victims' eyes causing short-term loss of vision), including one of their gang leaders, in Kaliakair of Gazipur Thursday morning.
The leader Shahur Ali, 43, has been in this line of work for a long time, and his grandfather, father and uncles were also engaged in this line of work, according to the police. The law enforcement agency said Shahur Ali admitted to his involvement in over 1,500 lootings.
His wife Mansura Akter Jimi, 30, Noor Islam, 45, and Mukul Mia, 42 -- all of them live in rented houses in different areas of Kaliakair -- are also among the detainees.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Azmir Hossain said that in the morning, some members of the group took position under the flyover in the Chandra Trimor area of the Dhaka-Tangail highway and robbed pedestrians and passengers of different transports by using drugs.
On receiving the information, Kaliakair police rushed there and detained the aforementioned people.
At the time, they seized 18 pots of alleged anaesthetic drugs and anti-anxiety medicines, along with a large quantity of sleeping pills. Each of the detainees is accused in multiple cases in different districts.
The police officer also said Shahur Ali's grandfather, father and uncles were also engaged in this line of work.
Police said Shahur Ali admitted to his involvement in over 1,500 robberies.
A case was filed at Kaliakair police station in this incident later.