Five held over Pallabi shooting linked to 15 lakh taka drug proceeds

Five people, including a listed drug trader, have been arrested on Wednesday over a shooting in the capital’s Pallabi area following a dispute over the sharing of 15 lakh taka earned from drug sales, police said.

The arrestees are Hamid Khan alias Makhon, drug trader ‘Lengra’ Rubel, Tanzid Ahmed alias Bappa, Parvez and Rabbi.

Police recovered a foreign-made pistol, two rounds of ammunition, two magazines, 1,000 Yaba pills and two vehicles allegedly used in drug trading from their possession.

Additional Commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Shafiqul Islam disclosed the information at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre.

He said the shooting took place in front of Emon’s tea stall in Mirpur Section-11 under Pallabi Police Station at around 5:30pm on August 7.

Alamgir, the main target of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds to his abdomen and head, while a female passerby, Josna, was shot in the leg, he said.

Following a complaint filed by Alamgir’s wife, a case was filed with Pallabi Police Station on charges of attempted murder.

The DB Mirpur Division subsequently launched an investigation into the incident.

Using CCTV footage and information technology, investigators identified a Toyota Premio allegedly used in the shooting and arrested its registered owner, Hamid Khan alias Makhon, from Pallabi.

During interrogation, Makhon told investigators that although the car was registered in his name, its actual owner was notorious drug trader ‘Lengra’ Rubel.

Based on information provided by Makhon, detectives arrested Rubel’s associates Parvez and Rabbi from the Kalshi area.

Later, acting on information provided by Parvez and Rabbi, detectives arrested Rubel and Tanzid Ahmed alias Bappa from an area beside the embankment near Eastern Housing under Rupnagar Police Station.

A foreign-made pistol, two rounds of ammunition and two magazines were recovered from them.

During preliminary interrogation, the arrestees told investigators that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between Alamgir and Rubel and his associates over the sharing of Tk15 lakh earned from drug sales.

DB officials said Alamgir is also a listed drug trader and faces several cases in Dhaka, but he is the victim in this case.

Responding to a question, Shafiqul Islam said anyone involved in a crime would be treated as a criminal regardless of their other identity and brought under the law.

He said Rubel faces several cases and investigators are examining whether he invested proceeds from drug trading in different places. If necessary, the information will be sent to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for possible action under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.

The DB chief said preliminary interrogation also revealed that several other people, including Bappa, were in the vehicle during the shooting. Their identities are being withheld in the interest of the investigation, and efforts are underway to arrest them.

Apart from the attempted murder case, separate cases under the Arms Act and Narcotics Control Act are being processed.

The arrestees may be placed on remand for further interrogation, while DB operations to arrest others involved in the incident are continuing, Shafiqul said.