Police arrest one over snatching of Tk85 lakh car under pretext of test drive
The arrested individual, Ahsan Ahmed alias Masum, 36, was found in possession of the stolen vehicle, a foreign pistol loaded with five bullets, and three mobile phones
Police have arrested a man in connection with the snatching of a Toyota Harrier worth Tk85 lakh from the Shahbag area under the pretext of a test drive.
The arrested individual, Ahsan Ahmed alias Masum, 36, was found in possession of the stolen vehicle, a foreign pistol loaded with five bullets, and three mobile phones.
He was apprehended during a raid in front of Amari Dhaka Hotel on Road No 41 in Gulshan around 3:15am today (25 March).
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Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam stated in a press briefing this morning that Masum, a former student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), is highly skilled in technology and a professional criminal.
"He has confessed to being involved in multiple car snatching incidents, where he would later demand money from owners in exchange for returning their vehicles," he said.
Police records indicate multiple cases against him.
According to the case details, Mashrur Nair, the owner of Wheel Deals, a car showroom in Paribagh, received a call on 7 March from an unidentified person expressing interest in buying a Toyota Harrier.
The following evening, the caller arrived at Nair's house garage with two others. They took the vehicle for a test drive with Nair's cousin, Md Piyal Mahmud, and stopped near the Metro Rail station in front of Birdem Hospital at around 8:15pm.
At that point, one of the suspects held a pistol to Mahmud's head, forced him out, and drove away with the car, which is valued at approximately Tk85 lakh.
Moments later, the suspects sent a message to Nair on WhatsApp, warning him against filing a case or discussing the matter on social media.
A case was later filed at Shahbag Police Station on 9 March.
Investigators identified the suspects using technology and arrested Masum during the raid.
The recovered pistol had "Made in China" inscribed in English, and "KF 7.65" was marked on the bullets.
