Ahead of Durga Puja, Ramadan and Eid, criminals are flexing their muscles and committing crimes right under the nose of the law enforcement agencies.

Residents are falling victims to mugging every day at different city points and the police records also show an increasing trend of such crimes over the last few months.

According to sources at the Police Headquarters, 140 mugging cases were recorded in different police stations in Dhaka between August 15 and September 20. The number of mugging was only 62 from July 1 to mid-August.

The actual figure of such crimes may be much higher as most of the victims do not report to the police station, sources claimed.

In a bid to stop law and order downslide the government has deployed special forces like Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Cobra and Cheetah now conducting regular raids on the dens of the lawbreakers. But the situation hardly changed.

"On Thursday evening, three muggers boarding a CNG scooter snatched my bag in a flash while I was travelling by a rickshaw near Baitul Mukarram mosque. I informed the police about the incident but they did nothing," said Shahed Maruf who filed a general diary with Motijheel Police Station.

During the last few days a number of snatching incidents took place in Dhanmondi area especially on road number 2 and 3 next to Science Laboratory Police Box, local residents alleged. The snatchers often apply various techniques of mugging.

"Some guys called me as if they are my friends or acquaintance. When I came close to them, one of them pointed a revolver at me and asked me to give everything," said Noton who was intercepted by a gang on Dhanmondi road no 8 last week.

Noton was injured as the muggers shot him though he gave them everything he had at that moment. He lodged a case with Dhanmondi Police Station in this connection.

Local residents said some identified groups of muggers are active in the area.

"Most of the mugging incidents take place in the evening and the muggers target pedestrians who seem to be rich," said Iftekhar Ahmed of Dhanmondi who witnessed several incidents from the balcony of his house. "I called Dhanmondi police two times but none came to nab the muggers or investigate the incidents," he alleged.

In most cases, the police fail to recover the things snatched by muggers from pedestrians and arrest the criminals. "So far we have no success in recovering such things," admitted a Sub Inspector (SI) at the Motijheel Police Station.

He however said the police try to find out the CNG autorickshaw or any type of vehicles used by muggers if the victim provides them with the number of the vehicle.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) sources said they have taken initiatives ahead of the Ramdan to check mugging, extortion and other criminal activities in the city.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Shahudul Haq told the Star City that the police were active to stop such crimes to ensure security of people. "We urge the people to inform the police about the incidents and help us arrest the criminals."

DMP Commissioner Ashraful Huda said, "Before Eid, 450 to 500 additional policemen will be deployed to patrol the city and check crimes specially snatching."

According to Home ministry officials, the new anticrime force Cheetah will act like other elite forces including Rab under DMP. Initially, four such teams, each comprising 10 members will swing into action in the crime-prone zones. Both uniformed and plainclothes policemen will be deployed, they added.