The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested 16 people in connection to a pickpocketing scheme and also recovered 40 mobile phones from their possession.
Separate teams of the DB (Lalbagh division) conducted raids in Azimpur and Gulistan areas on Tuesday and arrested 9 women, who wear burqa to pickpocket, and 7 mohajon, who buy and resell stolen mobile phones.
Confirming the matter, DB’s Lalbagh Division Deputy Commissioner Mashiur Rahman said that the arrests were made while investigating the loss of two mobile phones and more information was revealed during their interrogation.
The arrested women are -- Borsha Akhtar alias Mim, Sumi Akhtar alias Priya, Shabnur, Aleya alias Alo, Shathi Akhtar, Chokhina Begum, Sujna Akhtar alias Suzina Akhtar alias Rushkina, Tanya Khanum and Taslima Khatun.
The arrested mohajon are -- Mahabub Hossain, Mokhtar Hossain, Rafiqul Islam, Imran Hossain, Chayed Halder, Ashraf Dhali and Zakir Hossain.
These burqa-clad pickpockets usually target women visiting markets, hospitals and educational institutions, cutting up their bags and stealing mobile phones, cash and gold ornaments, said Mashiur Rahman.
For selling the stolen android phones, the pickpockets get Tk 2,000-Tk 4,000 and for iPhones, they get Tk 7,000 -Tk 8,000.
Many of the pickpockets have been arrested several times but they get involved in this work again as soon as they are bailed, Mashiur added.
The deputy commissioner also said that people usually do not file a general diary or case in this type of theft which makes it difficult to arrest such pickpockets.
