The Detective Branch (DB) of police with the help of Kotwali police nabbed ASI Khalilullah, Nayek (non-commissioned officer) Abdul Bari and constables Shamsuzzaman and Korban Ali in a case filed by Sohel Rana, who works at City Silver House at Tantibazar. Another accused constable, Rafiq, is on the run.

In the first information report (FIR), Rana said he and his colleague Habib were going to their shop by a rickshaw when five policemen stopped them at Tantibazar crossing at 11:30am. The policemen dragged Habib down from the rickshaw and found the silver in his bag.

"They seized the ornaments. ASI Khalilullah then asked me to pay Tk 50,000 or he would implicate me in a false arms case," Rana told The Daily Star.

According to the FIR, Rana rushed to his shop, brought Tk 28,000 from Ripon, manager of the jewellery house, and handed it over to Khalilullah. But, when he asked the ASI to return the silver, he refused and said, "We have snatched the goods."

Rana then filed the case against the five policemen with Kotwali Police Station under the Speedy Trial (Law and Order Disruption) Act. After the arrest, the DB police recovered Tk 25,100 from Khalilullah.

The police produced the four arrestees before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka in the afternoon with a prayer for 5-day remand to learn about the loot. Magistrate Shafiq Anwar granted a 3-day remand.

Lately, snatching and extortion by law enforcers have become a frequent incident. On June 29, Sergeant Zulfikar Ali robbed a businessman of Tk 14.47 lakh at Bijoynagar. He has been remanded thrice and then sent to jail, but the booty is yet to be recovered.

Three policemen were arrested on April 10 at Shyampur for extorting from the owner of an auto-rickshaw garage and SI Hafizur Rahman of the Rapid Action Battalion was held on March 3 at Khilgaon for robbing a rice wholesaler.