Criminals impersonating them as auto-rickshaw or microbus drivers have been committing serious crimes such as mugging, abduction and even murder in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area in the capital since long. They usually target the incoming Bangladesh expatriates, who along with cash money and valuables, return home from different foreign countries.
They play the waiting game near the airport disguised as auto-rickshaw, microbus and other transport drivers to escape the police deployed there. They wait for an opportunity to strike the incoming passengers who come out of the terminal area. After being convinced, when the targeted helpless expatriates board autrorickshaw or microbus at midnight or early hours, the armed goons take away everything from them at gun point. Sometimes these criminals strangle or murder the helpless people at the dead of the night and later they throw the body of the victim. Reportedly, as many as 60 such gruesome mugging and robbery incidents took place in the airport area in the last one year. Some 10 criminals are active of an organised mugger gang in airport area for five years and they often use stolen private cars and motorbikes to commit crimes at midnight and early hours.
The law
enforcement
agencies must
take immediate action to destroy the network of muggers
We are concerned over sharp rise in daring mugging in recent times outside the airport area although the country sees a fall in overall crime incidents. Apart from transport drivers, the criminals impersonating them as members of different law enforcement agencies have long been committing robbery and mugging in and around the airport area. They use fake handcuffs, walky-talky, jacket of RAB, microbus inscribing with RAB or DB sticker on them, signal lights and other such things that the law enforcers use before trapping their targets. The law enforcement agencies must take necessary steps to ensure the safety of the expatriates and regular passengers. They will also have to launch drive immediately to nab the armed goons involved in mugging and robbery in the airport area. The law enforcement agencies must take immediate action to destroy the network of muggers.
