Organised criminal syndicates operating around Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka have adopted sophisticated, contract-based tactics, masquerading as law enforcement officers to target inbound passengers, traders, and gold smugglers. Posing as security personnel equipped with hand restraints, walkie-talkies, and official uniforms, these hired gang members intercept victims on public roads, force them into vehicles, and loot their valuables before vanishing to remote rural districts or abroad.
Investigators from the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police have uncovered an extraordinary international dynamic within these syndicates. One key figure, Syed Nasir Uddin, originally from Bagerhat, resides in France. Nasir routinely flies from France to India, crosses into Bangladesh through illicit border channels, and executes high-value robberies alongside his brother-in-law Shamim and local contract criminals. Following a job, he retraces his route back to Western Europe to evade domestic authorities. Detective Branch officers finally apprehended Nasir following a heist at a jewellery store in Uttara.
Local operatives also lead double lives to maintain cover. Forty-three-year-old Md Shahidul Islam operates a legitimate agricultural business, ‘M/s Krishi Bhandar’, in Tarash, Sirajganj, while residing in Pabna. Behind this respectably quiet façade, Shahidul works as a mercenary robber armed with authentic-looking police gear, walkie-talkies, and handcuffs. On 23 July, his team carried out a 1.5 million Taka robbery in Uttara West after being hired by a underworld figure named Ratan Chowdhury, alias Dalim. Shahidul currently faces five criminal cases across Savar, Sirajganj, and Bogura.
Similarly, Md Jalil Mullah from Khanpur in Barishal faces five robbery charges across various precincts, including Dhanmondi, Mirpur, Kamrangirchar, and Mirzapur. Detectives note that several contract groups—such as the Al Amin Group, Shaon Group, and a syndicate led by a former police informant known as ‘Dacoit Shahid’—hire themselves out for fees ranging from 500,000 to 1,000,000 Taka per operation. When intercepting large smuggled gold shipments near the airport precinct, these syndicates demand fees exceeding 10 million Taka.
The human toll of these operations remains severe. On 6 April 2024, an outbound passenger named Md Rashedul Islam from Kustia arrived early at the airport before boarding a shuttle bus bound for an overseas training centre. Five to six gang members posing as passengers locked the doors, blindfolded and assaulted him, stripped him of all belongings, and dumped him near the Jasimuddin roundabout adjacent to the MES Flyover.
Law enforcement agencies acknowledge the persistent challenge presented by these mobile syndicates. Deputy Commissioner Md Ilias Kabir of the DMP Detective Branch (Uttara Division) explained that perpetrators swiftly flee the capital after committing offences. He noted that suspects frequently secure bail shortly after arrest and return to crime, though intensified police operations have significantly curtailed recent incidents. Wing Commander MZM Entekhab Chowdhury, Director of Law and Media for the Special Response Battalion (SRB), stated that security forces maintain continuous intelligence surveillance and joint patrols, adapting their coordination to counter the evolving tactics of these criminal networks.
