16 members of pickpocket gang held in Dhaka

Police claimed to have arrested a gang of 16 pickpockets in the capital on Tuesday.

Of the arrestees, nine were women and seven men.

Deputy Commissioner Moshiur Rahman, during a press conference held at the DMP media centre yesterday, disclosed the information.

He said Lalbagh division of the Detective Branch (DB) arrested them from Azimpur and Gulistan areas. Police also seized 40 cellphones from them.

Moshiur said on April 17, the wife of an additional district judge lost her phone while traveling by rickshaw from New Market to Eden Mohila College. Similarly, on May 2, the wife of a journalist found that mobile phone and cash were missing from her bag while she was taking her child to a school in Azimpur.

During investigation, the DB managed to recover the phones and also found out about the gang.

"They wore burqas and pretended to be unsuspecting individuals carrying small children in their laps," he added.

The stolen phones were sold for Tk 2,000 to Tk 4,000. The official said they are looking for the rest of the gang members.