Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
At least 300 members of different organized dope gangs, both male and female, are roaming in the various crowded areas mainly bus terminals, railway stations and launch terminals in the capital and its outskirts ahead of Eid shopping.
The gangsters snatch cash, gold ornaments, cell phones and other valuables feeding their targets sedative-mixed foods or drinks, sources said.
They also hijack taxi-cabs, motor-bikes and CNG-run auto-rickshaws after doping the drivers.
Around a dozen people, including a university teacher, fell victim to the dope gang and lost cash, mobile phones and other valuables during shopping in last seven days, sources at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital said.
Many other victims, mostly businessmen, have lost their valuables in similar incidents over the last few weeks, they added.
According to the detective branch (DB) sources, every dope group comprising around four members moves together from Aminbazar to Narayanganj and Sadarghat to Tongi, trap their targets and snatch their belongings.
On many occasions, the gangsters also use pretty women to deceive the targets into doping, they said.
These groups are mainly active in crowded areas like Gabtali bus terminal, Mohakhali bus terminal, Sayedabad bus terminal, Kamalapur railway station and Sadarghat launch terminal, according to them.
Besides, other bustling and commercial areas, including Motijheel, Gulistan, Mohakhali, Shahbagh, Paltan, Dainik Bangla, Khilgaon Railgate, Gulshan, Mirpur and Banani
areas are also not free from the hegemony of the dope gangs. In the latest, a DB team detained 11 suspected members of dope gangs from different areas of the capital on Saturday night.
The gang members first target a person and then somehow feed him/her sedative mixed with water, biscuits or other food items, including coconut water, said a police official of DB of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
After their targeted person becomes unconscious, they make away with his or her belongings. Passengers of public buses, taxi-cab and CNG-run- auto-rickshaws and paddle rickshaws are usually the prime targets of the gangs. Sometimes, drivers of auto-rickshaws and rickshaw-pullers are also their target, police said.
Fahima Islam, a teacher of a private university, said, “She fell victim to a dope gang in the capital’s Chadoni Chalk market on Friday and lost Tk 70,000 in cash and other valuables.”
Sidratul Muntaha, a doctor of a private hospital in the city’s Kakrail, said, “Most of the victims recover from unconsciousness within 24-hour of the doping. In some cases, victims die for excessive doping by the Dope Gang party.”
Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner Abdul Baten, however, claimed that drives were under way to catch the food vendors who work with these gangs as well.
Everybody should keep alert to take juice, coffee, tea, halua, chocolate-biscuits, dates, coconut water, cigarettes and beetle leaf sold by street vendors as they are usually mix sleeping pills with the food items near crowded areas, the police official said.
Masudur Rhman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of DMP, said that a large team of law enforcers, both in uniform and plain-clothes, are working in the city to detain the criminals as well as the so-called dope gang.
Members of this type of gangs dope their targets before robbing them of money and belongings, they police official said.
At least 300 members of different organized dope gangs, both male and female, are roaming in the various crowded areas mainly bus terminals, railway stations and launch terminals in the capital and its outskirts ahead of Eid shopping.
The gangsters snatch cash, gold ornaments, cell phones and other valuables feeding their targets sedative-mixed foods or drinks, sources said.
They also hijack taxi-cabs, motor-bikes and CNG-run auto-rickshaws after doping the drivers.
Around a dozen people, including a university teacher, fell victim to the dope gang and lost cash, mobile phones and other valuables during shopping in last seven days, sources at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital said.
Many other victims, mostly businessmen, have lost their valuables in similar incidents over the last few weeks, they added.
According to the detective branch (DB) sources, every dope group comprising around four members moves together from Aminbazar to Narayanganj and Sadarghat to Tongi, trap their targets and snatch their belongings.
On many occasions, the gangsters also use pretty women to deceive the targets into doping, they said.
These groups are mainly active in crowded areas like Gabtali bus terminal, Mohakhali bus terminal, Sayedabad bus terminal, Kamalapur railway station and Sadarghat launch terminal, according to them.
Besides, other bustling and commercial areas, including Motijheel, Gulistan, Mohakhali, Shahbagh, Paltan, Dainik Bangla, Khilgaon Railgate, Gulshan, Mirpur and Banani
areas are also not free from the hegemony of the dope gangs. In the latest, a DB team detained 11 suspected members of dope gangs from different areas of the capital on Saturday night.
The gang members first target a person and then somehow feed him/her sedative mixed with water, biscuits or other food items, including coconut water, said a police official of DB of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
After their targeted person becomes unconscious, they make away with his or her belongings. Passengers of public buses, taxi-cab and CNG-run- auto-rickshaws and paddle rickshaws are usually the prime targets of the gangs. Sometimes, drivers of auto-rickshaws and rickshaw-pullers are also their target, police said.
Fahima Islam, a teacher of a private university, said, “She fell victim to a dope gang in the capital’s Chadoni Chalk market on Friday and lost Tk 70,000 in cash and other valuables.”
Sidratul Muntaha, a doctor of a private hospital in the city’s Kakrail, said, “Most of the victims recover from unconsciousness within 24-hour of the doping. In some cases, victims die for excessive doping by the Dope Gang party.”
Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner Abdul Baten, however, claimed that drives were under way to catch the food vendors who work with these gangs as well.
Everybody should keep alert to take juice, coffee, tea, halua, chocolate-biscuits, dates, coconut water, cigarettes and beetle leaf sold by street vendors as they are usually mix sleeping pills with the food items near crowded areas, the police official said.
Masudur Rhman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of DMP, said that a large team of law enforcers, both in uniform and plain-clothes, are working in the city to detain the criminals as well as the so-called dope gang.
Members of this type of gangs dope their targets before robbing them of money and belongings, they police official said.