Patenga Police have arrested three men, including the suspected mastermind, for embezzling a massive consignment of imported plastic granules worth Tk 4.26 million (42.64 lakh). Officers also recovered the delivery covered van and 260 bags of the stolen industrial raw material, valued at Tk 2.2 million (22 lakh).
The Public Relations Branch of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) confirmed the developments on Saturday afternoon.
According to police, Paragon Plastic Limited hired a covered van through Mocam Limited to transport 520 bags of imported plastic granules to its factory. The consignment was loaded onto the vehicle and handed over to the driver, Md. Rashed. However, instead of delivering the cargo to its designated destination, Rashed conspired with his associates to divert and steal the goods.
Following the disappearance of the cargo, Md. Obaidul Haque Khasru, a manager at the transport company, filed a formal complaint with the Patenga Model Police Station on May 9.
A specialized police team, led by Patenga Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mustafa Ahmed, launched a series of coordinated raids across different districts to track down the suspects.
On May 11, police arrested the suspected mastermind, Imam Ali (alias Emon), from the Bandar area of Narayanganj. Using information extracted during his interrogation, detectives tracked down and arrested the fleeing covered van driver, Md. Rashed, from Mirsarai in Chattogram on May 13.
The operation concluded when Rashed led police to a warehouse in the Sudafah Purbapara area of Tongi, Gazipur. There, police arrested a third accomplice, Md. Ashraf Ali Sikder, and seized the covered van alongside the 260 recovered bags of raw plastic granules.
Police are continuing their operations to recover the remaining stolen inventory and determine if a larger transit-theft syndicate is involved.
