Six arrested, including a dismissed soldier, over SRB-impersonation kidnapping; businessman rescued in Teknaf

District Detective Branch (DB) police and Banshkhali police have arrested six people, including a dismissed army member, over allegations of kidnapping a businessman in Banshkhali, Chattogram, while posing as SRB members and demanding Tk 20 lakh in ransom. Four days after the kidnapping, the businessman was rescued unharmed from Teknaf in Cox's Bazar.

District Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam gave the information at a press conference held at the Chattogram district police superintendent's office on Thursday (22 October) afternoon. He said the gang members were arrested and the businessman rescued safely through drives conducted by analysing information technology, intelligence and the circumstances of the incident.

The police superintendent said that on 17 October at around 8:30 pm, several men entered a hardware shop named 'Messrs Abdullah Enterprise', owned by businessman Mohammad Ehsan alias Hasan, at Prembazar in Puichhari union of Banshkhali. They wore vests marked 'SRB' over black clothing, black caps and masks.

Posing as SRB members, they showed the businessman, who was sitting at the shop's cash counter, a photograph of his twin brother Md Hossain and said — you are Hossain. Although the businessman stated his own identity, the accused handcuffed his hands behind his back and forcibly took him out of the shop. He was then put into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw and moved through different vehicles towards Cox's Bazar.

From around 11:40 pm on the night of the kidnapping, calls began coming from various VoIP numbers to the mobile phones of the businessman's wife and the shop's manager. Over the phone, the kidnappers demanded Tk 20 lakh as ransom for the businessman's release and threatened to kill him if the money was not paid.

A case was filed at Banshkhali police station on the basis of a complaint by the kidnapped businessman's brother Md Hossain. After the case, DB and Banshkhali police jointly began investigations and drives to rescue the businessman and identify and arrest those involved. Under Superintendent Masud Alam's direction, several operational teams were formed led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (Anwara Circle) Mahmudul Hasan and DB OC Md Masud Rana.

As part of the investigation, drives were conducted in various areas of Cox's Bazar Sadar, Pekua, Ukhiya, Ramu and Teknaf. In continuation, six people were arrested on 20 October from the bus terminal, Banglabazar and Courtbazar areas under Cox's Bazar Sadar police station.

The arrestees are dismissed army member Sumon Munshi, Mizanur Rahman of Kashiani in Gopalganj, Joynal Uddin of Kutubdia in Cox's Bazar, Md Abbas Uddin of Ukhiya, Md Chhalim alias Selim of Banshkhali, and Delwar Hossain of Rohingya Camp-26 in Teknaf.

The police superintendent said that, acting on information from the arrestees, a special drive was conducted at around 4 am on 21 October in an area adjacent to Leda (Alikhali) Rohingya Camp-25 in Teknaf upazila. Businessman Mohammad Ehsan alias Hasan was rescued unharmed from the kidnappers' custody in the drive.

During the drive, police seized a private car used in the kidnapping, five black vests marked 'SRB', two fake identity cards and a handcuff. These seized items make clear the gang's method of committing crimes under a false identity.

According to police, dismissed soldier Sumon Munshi became acquainted with several members of the Rohingya community while serving with the SRB in the Ukhiya area in the past. Later he lost his job over allegations of involvement in various crimes and served jail time. In prison he met people involved in different crimes — and, it is alleged, an organised gang using a fake SRB identity was formed from those connections.

According to information from preliminary interrogation, gang members Abbas Uddin and Delwar Hossain would monitor the movements of potential victims in different areas and pass information to Sumon Munshi. Sumon and his associates would then kidnap people posing as SRB members, hold the victims in Rohingya camps and demand ransom from their relatives.

Police said that among the arrestees, Sumon Munshi faces a total of 13 cases on various charges including snatching, robbery and arms offences. Joynal Uddin faces three cases over kidnapping, theft and snatching, Md Chhalim alias Selim two cases under the Arms Act, and Abbas Uddin one case under the Narcotics Control Act.

Police said they are investigating the role of others involved in the incident and whether any more crimes of this kind were committed using a fake SRB identity. The full picture of the gang is expected to become clearer as the investigation progresses.