But he was given only Tk 3,000, even though they looted gold ornaments of 8,615 tolas and cash, Bachchu, 36, of Panchthubi in Comilla district told the magistrate.

Metropolitan Magistrate Nani Gopal Biswas recorded the confessional statement of Bachchu, working at a hotel at Nayabazar at Kotwali area in the city and later ordered to send him to the Dhaka Central Jail.

Bachchu, in his statement, said Jasim who led the groups in mugging and looting gold ornaments and other things, had managed his job as a guard at Mascot Plaza two months before committing the robbery.

''I got myself engaged at the gate as a guard to help my accomplices for committing the robbery at about 1:00am on December 5 last year'' he said.

Nizam, Kalu, Sohrab, Hassan and Rozina were directly involved in the robbery, he added.

In a major gold heist, burglars made off with stolen ornaments and cash worth about Tk 12.80 crore, breaking into four jewellery shops in Mascot Plaza.

According to local businessmen, the burglars entered the building soon after midnight after sedating with drugs security guard Monjurul Islam in the basement, and guard Salahuddin at the rear entrance on the ground floor.

Pulak Sarker, owner of the Preyoshi Jewellers filed a case with Uttara Police Station in this connection the same day.