RAB arrests 3 kidnappers, rescues 5 tourists in Cox's Bazar
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Friday arrested three members of a gang, including its leader, an expelled sub-inspector of Bangladesh police, for their involvement in kidnapping and torturing tourists to extort money.
Acting on a tip-off, the elite force conducted drives in two hotels in Kolatoli and Shugandha point area of Cox's Bazar sea beach which the gang used as torture cells. Five victims, including two tourists from Dhaka, a Rohingya couple, and their child, who are from Kutupalong refugee camp, have been rescued from there.
The gang leader, SM Iqbal Parvez was expelled from police after being arrested with yaba tablets in 2021, Md Abu Salam Chowdhury, additional superintendent of police and senior assistant director (law and media) of RAB-15, told The Business Standard (TBS).
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Among the victims, Md Shahjahan Kabir and Monjur Alam came to Cox's Bazar from Dhaka and went missing on 16 May. Later, some people called their family members and demanded Tk15 lakh as ransom. The family members paid a part of the ransom but they were not set free.
Shahjahan's sister Amena Begum filed a case with Cox's Bazar Sadar Model police station on 19 May.
On the other hand, the relatives of the Rohingya couple paid the gang more than Tk2 lakh through bKash but they were not freed. As the gang did not get the amount they demanded they tied the husband, torture him, and raped the woman several times.
Abu Salam Chowdhury told TBS the names of the hotels cannot be revealed now for the sake of investigation.
Iqbal, who hails from Chandpur, is accused in two murder cases. Two of his associates are Munna, brother-in-law of Iqbal, and Md Yousuf who are from Cox's Bazar. After Iqbal came out of jail in the drug case, he made a gang of seven to eight members. They used to target tourists who came to Cox's Bazar from different areas.
The victims and the gang members have been handed over to Cox's Bazar Sadar police station, said the police officer.
Earlier in August 2022, tourist police rescued four tourists and arrested 11 from a torture cell in Cox's Bazar.
