Staff Reporter :
Rapid Action Battalion arrested 96 people on charges of taking drugs, involvement in gambling and prostitution on a luxury launch on the Buriganga River on Friday evening.
Of the arrested, 17 were charged for drug consumption and the rest were charged for gambling and prostitution, said RAB-10 deputy director Major Shariar Ziaur Rahman on Saturday.
Three of the arrested were MV Royal Cruise-2 staff. The arrested were handed over to South Keraniganj police.
They had been involved in those crimes in the name of river cruise for long, said RAB sources.
The RAB team carried out a daylong raid on the Buriganga River and arrested them at the launch, the RAB officer said.
He said that the arrestees rented the launch in the name of river cruise to Chandpur and their criminal activities started as soon as the vessel left Dhaka city.
There were other passengers on the launch, but RAB verified and were confirmed about drugs consumption, engaging in gambling and prostitution of 96 people, said Ziaur adding that a case was filed with South Keraniganj police station in this connection.
