Kushtia Model Police have arrested six members of an organised crime syndicate nearly two and a half months after they rendered an elderly woman unconscious with a chemical compound known as ‘Devil’s Breath’ before looting BDT 10 lakh in cash and 20 bhoris of gold jewellery. The arrests followed multi-district raids carried out across Kushtia and neighbouring Gangni upazila in Meherpur district, aided by advanced information technology tracking.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kushtia Model Police Station, Zakir Hossain, confirmed the developments on Sunday, 8 November. During the drive, law enforcement officers recovered 45.78 grammes of stolen gold ornaments valued at an estimated BDT 7.85 lakh in the present market. The recovered items include a gold necklace, a pair of earrings, a pair of dangling earrings, a pair of bangles, a pair of ear-chains, two gold rings, and a neck chain. Local jewellers subsequently verified the authenticity of the recovered precious metals.
The crime took place on 16 August in the East Majampur area of Kushtia town. Within a brief 17-minute window between 3:13 pm and 3:30 pm, members of the gang breached the residence where the elderly victim was alone. The perpetrators administered ‘Devil’s Breath’—a potent disabling agent—causing the victim to lose consciousness instantly. The suspects then ransacked the property, decamping with BDT 10 lakh in cash along with valuable gold ornaments. Following the heist, the victim’s son, Wasif Billah, lodged a formal complaint with Kushtia Model Police Station, naming several suspects.
Investigating officer Sub-Inspector Badshah Miah traced the suspects using digital forensic analysis. On Saturday afternoon, 7 November, police conducted a targeted raid in the Naoda Hogalbaria (Shukurkandi) area under Gangni Police Station in Meherpur. Officers initially arrested named suspects Nayeem Hossain, Parvina Khatun, and Intadul. Based on intelligence gathered during on-site interrogations, police apprehended two further accomplices, Tarikul Islam and Mizanur Rahman, from the same locality.
Following leads provided by the five detainees, law enforcement personnel raided a residence in the Khalishakundi area of Daulatpur upazila, Kushtia, at around 5:00 pm the same day, arresting another gang member, Reha Khatun. Police Chief Zakir Hossain stated that rigorous legal action is under way against all six suspects, assuring that police drives will continue to bring any remaining associates linked to the crime syndicate to justice.
