Three arrested over plan to dismantle stolen truck for parts

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) detectives have recovered a drum truck worth Tk 70 lakh, allegedly stolen from Dhaka and brought to Chattogram for dismantling and selling its parts.

Three people were arrested in connection with the theft during separate raids in the city's Panchlaish and Pahartali areas on Sunday.

The arrestees were identified as Shawkat Ali, 42, Abu Tayeb Ali, 29, and Abbas Uddin, also known as Abu Mistri, 58.

According to CMP Deputy Commissioner (DB-North) Sheikh Shariful Islam, the truck was recovered from a garage owned by Abbas Uddin on Sagarika Senbari Road in Pahartali based on information provided by the arrestees.

Investigators said Abu Tayeb allegedly stole the truck from an area in Dhaka on October 25 at the instigation of Shawkat Ali.

The truck was later transported to Chattogram using a robot vehicle arranged by Shawkat and handed over to him for sale.

It was subsequently kept at Abbas Uddin's garage, where the suspects allegedly planned to dismantle it and sell the parts separately.

Police said preliminary interrogation suggested that the arrested individuals had long been involved in stealing vehicles from different areas and selling them as spare parts.

The recovered vehicle is an unregistered Eicher Terra-25 model drum truck.

Police are investigating whether other people were involved in the theft ring.

sks