290 bhori of looted gold from Chattogram recovered, 6 arrested including ex-ASI

Police have recovered 290 bhori of gold looted in a high-profile robbery in Chattogram and arrested six people, including the main accused and a former assistant sub-inspector.

The arrests were made by the Detective Branch North of Chattogram Metropolitan Police and Panchlaish police station during overnight operations up to Friday morning. A motorcycle used in the robbery was also seized.

The arrested are Suman Chandra Das, 42, Md Masud Rana alias Bike Babu, 30, Rafiqul Islam alias Imon, 22, Rabi Kumar Das, 40, Panna Rani Das alias Dipali Rani Das, 38, and Bibek Banik, 42.

Among them, Suman Chandra Das is a former police ASI who was dismissed for involvement in various crimes. He had previously been arrested in connection with gold robbery cases.

Police said that in the early hours of January 4, Sabuj Debnath, accompanied by two associates, was travelling by CNG auto-rickshaw from Kotwali’s Sub Area towards the Oxygen area of Bayezid Bostami. When they reached the Aturar Depot area, four robbers on two motorcycles intercepted them, threatened and assaulted them, and looted 35 gold bars, three mobile phones and cash.

A case was filed at Panchlaish Model Police Station on January 5. Following the case, a joint team of DB North and Panchlaish police launched an operation using technology and intelligence.

As part of the operation, the main accused Suman Chandra Das, Md Masud Rana alias Bike Babu and Rafiqul Islam alias Imon were arrested on Thursday afternoon from the Madhabpur area under Kashimpur police station in Gazipur. A Suzuki Gixxer motorcycle used in the robbery was recovered from them.

According to police, during primary interrogation Suman Chandra Das confessed that the robbery was carried out in a planned manner under his leadership. Based on his information, Rabi Kumar Das was arrested from Mohammadpur in Dhaka on the same day. Later, his wife Panna Rani Das alias Dipali Rani Das was arrested from the Boropul area of Halishahar in Chattogram. Bibek Banik was arrested from the Kotwali police station area for allegedly acting as a secret informant who helped transport the looted gold.

Habibur Rahman Pramanik of CMP’s Detective Branch North said that on Friday morning, acting on confessions of the arrested, police recovered a paper box from a house in the Rayerbazar area of Mohammadpur in Dhaka. Inside the box, 29 gold bars were found wrapped, weighing a total of 290 bhori. He added that operations are continuing to arrest the remaining accused.