Hijacked truck with 15 tonnes of rods recovered on Dhaka-Chattogram highway; 2 arrested

Police have recovered a truck loaded with 15,200kg of KSRM-brand iron rods following a hijacking incident on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and arrested two in connection with it.

The operation was conducted around 5am yesterday (30 April) in the Abhoymitra Bridge Ghat area under Kotwali Police Station, on the west side of the BIWTA building, where the suspects were arrested.

The arrestees were identified as Md Iqbal, 32, and Millat, 32.

According to police, the operation was conducted under instructions from senior officials of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) and led by the officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, resulting in the recovery of a truck carrying KSRM-branded iron rods of different sizes.

They added that the recovered rods included 2,500kg of 8mm, 6,200kg of 10mm, 1,500kg of 12mm, and 5,000kg of 16mm rods.

Police sources said that around 3am yesterday, the truck, which was transporting rods from Chattogram to Dhaka, was intercepted by a group of hijackers on the Cumilla highway.

"The assailants held the driver hostage and drove the vehicle back towards Chattogram. The driver was later thrown off the vehicle, after which the perpetrators began unloading the rods in the Abhoymitra Ghat area," police said.

A police patrol team grew suspicious early in the morning and questioned those at the scene. As they failed to give satisfactory answers, they were detained and the truck with the goods was seized.

Later verification and contact with the owner confirmed that the truck had been hijacked, police sources confirmed.

Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Aftab Uddin told The Business Standard that a case has been filed, the accused have been sent to jail through the court, and a remand has been sought.

He further said, "If anyone else is found to be involved in this incident, action will be taken following an investigation."