In the sensational theft of 500 vori of gold jewelry from Shompa Jewelers in the Fortune Shopping Mall, Malibagh, three persons directly participated. Two of them entered the building using ropes, and another waited below on a motorcycle. After the theft, all three fled. The stolen gold was later divided among members of a thief gang.
Using information technology, the main suspects were identified by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB). Subsequently, operations were launched across various parts of the country, and four members of the gang were arrested. More than 150 vori of gold jewelry were recovered from one suspect’s house, hidden beneath a stack of straw. In addition, gold and cash were recovered from others implicated in the case.
Investigators say two members of the gang entered the building wearing burqas and used ropes to gain access. They broke open locks to enter the shop, removed display jewelry, and fled in coordination with the accomplice waiting below on a motorcycle.
Deputy Commissioner (DB) Md. Shafiqul Islam said that several gang members have been arrested, and a detailed press conference will be held on Friday. Meanwhile, on Thursday around 10:30 PM, DC Media & Public Relations of the DMP (Dhaka Metropolitan Police), Muhammad Talebur Rahman, reported that four persons were arrested with a huge amount of gold following the sensational theft from a gold shop in Fortune Shopping Mall. A detailed briefing is to be given at 11:30 AM on Friday at the DMP media center.
Given the magnitude of the stolen gold, many consider the quick resolution of the case a significant success for the DB. The theft reportedly occurred at the Shompa Jewelers on the second floor of Fortune Shopping Mall in Malibagh. The shop’s owner, Achint Kumar Biswas, said that on the night of October 8, he locked up as usual around 9 PM and went home. The next morning, through the mall’s security guard, he learned of the theft and came to find the store emptied.
He claims that 500 vori of gold jewelry was stolen, of which 400 vori were shop inventory and 100 vori were mortgaged jewelry. At the current market price, with gold fetching more than 2 lakh taka per vori, the stolen gold is estimated to be worth around 10 crore taka. Biswas filed a case with Ramna Model Police Station in DMP naming unidentified persons. The case period was from 9:00 PM on October 8 to 6:30 AM on October 9. Also stolen were 40,000 taka in cash. The case was later transferred to the DB by Officer-in-Charge Golam Faruk of Ramna Model Police.
Sources say that around 3:10 AM on October 8, the burglars broke a grill on the third floor at the rear of the mall to enter. They then broke the shutter of Shompa Jewelers on the second floor, entered the shop, and removed the gold jewelry. Investigators report that the gang divided the stolen items among themselves, but DB’s alertness prevented them from selling them. During the raid, officials recovered a red shopping bag hidden under a pile of straw near the courtyard of one suspect’s house; inside were small boxes of gold jewelry. A large share of the stolen goods was retrieved from that one location, and additional gold was recovered from several other sites. However, the precise total number of vori recovered has not yet been confirmed.
— Salauddin / SA&E
