Drugging victims to rob

A CNG driver, drugged by unidentified people, being rushed to hospital. PHOTO: Star File Photo

The muggers under the guise of food vendors or fellow commuters sell drugged food or trick their victims into sniffing soporifics. As their victims turn unconscious, the crooks rob them of their belongings and disappear.

Though this technique of mugging is not entirely new to the city residents, the sudden spate of such shrewd and innovative techniques adopted by the muggers are gripping them with worries more than ever.

Giusuddin Ahmed, a resident from Manikganj, came to Dhaka for business purposes. On May 2, Tk 50,000 was mugged from him at Gabtoli bus terminal. He was found unconscious on the street before he was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

"As I was exhausted after spending all those hours in the bus in this heat, I bought a green coconut for refreshment. I don't seem to remember anything after that," said Ahmed after he regained consciousness after spending around 10 hours at DMCH.

According to sources, over 100 people fell victims to drugged-mugging during the past week. City hospitals also saw a sharp increase in the number of admitted unconscious patients.

Sources at DMCH told this correspondent that they have been receiving eight to ten victims on daily basis who were found unconscious on the streets after being drugged by unidentified assailants.

"Although we do receive this sort of patients quite regularly, things have been more hectic in the past few weeks as larger numbers of such patients have been pouring in," said Arifur Rahman, an intern doctor at DMCH.

"The victims are usually drugged through food items such as green coconuts, pickles, soft drinks, juice or biscuits. The muggers use soporific tablets and other chemicals that are seriously injurious to health to make their victims unconscious for hours and even days," added Rahman.

Although victims usually tend to regain consciousness within 12 to 24 hours after they were drugged, a number of the victims were reported to have been dead.

Moktar Hossain is another victim of drugged-mugging. He was found unconscious by police at Uttara in the city. Hossain was deported from Saudi Arabia for and sent back to Bangladesh. His family members were not aware of his arrival.

Moktar Hossain died a day after he was brought to DMCH. His wife Reena Begum had to come to the hospital only to identify and receive her dead husband.

According to DMCH officials, chemicals used to drug the mugging victims could not be identified as the authorities lack necessary equipment.

"It is difficult for us to identify the chemicals that are used to drug the victims as we don't have the necessary equipment," said a medical officer at DMCH.

However, according to unofficial sources, the chemical used in drugged-muggings is a substance known as 'Rohypnol' or 'roofies', which is a recognised date-rape drug. This drug is known to be easily found in the markets around the Mitford Hospital.

According to experts, this chemical contains more alcohol than most other drugs and can be easily added to the food items without the victim being suspicious. If applied large doses, this drug can sedate and even result in loss of memory.

"After regaining consciousness, they [the victims] seem more content on being out of harm's way and don't really seem to be much worried about filing a police case or getting their belongings back," he added.

Mixed in the crowd as pedestrians or fellow passengers in a public transport, these criminals are everywhere in the city waiting to drug and rob a naïve commuter in the city. The usually target their prey at public places such as airports, railway stations and bus stands.

Fresh visitors arriving from abroad or outer regions of the city are usually preferred victims of these muggers, as these visitors tend to carry a larger amount of money and other valuable possessions with them.

Disguised as fellow pedestrians, food vendors, or even fellow passengers, these muggers gain trust of the victim by mingling with them with small talks. They later drug the victims with tampered foodstuff and make off with the victims' belongings.

Abu Sufian, 35, an expatriate in Kuwait, was found unconscious near Rapa Plaza, Dhanmondi at around 11:30 am last week. Locals brought him to DMCH and managed to inform his family members about his whereabouts after finding his contact information in his wallet.

According to his family members, Sufian was supposed to have Tk 3 lakh on him and the money could not be found in his possession.

According to public bus owners, the recent rise in the drugged-muggings has put them in a difficult situation as well.

"We find a number of people unconscious in our buses everyday and it's a big nuisance for us as the police don't seem care to take any action even after they are informed," said Mahbub, operator of Duranto bus service from Uttara.

Naive CNG cab and auto rickshaw drivers were also reported to have fallen victims to these muggers and lost their vehicles to the muggers after being unconscious. A CNG auto rickshaw driver named Kibria was recently found unconscious in Moghbazar. After he was taken to the hospital, he said that his passengers had drugged him.

"Two guys asked me to take them to Gulshan and on the way, they offered me a smoke. Few minutes after smoking, my head felt heavy. I don't remember anything after that," Kibria told police.

According to Abdul Jalil, joint commissioner of Detective Branch of DMP, the police are aware of the ongoing assault of such muggings and are taking special actions.

"We have two different teams of police detectives working to track down these specific muggers," said Jalil.

"We have already apprehended around 14 suspects. Now we are trying to identify the specific spots where they operate and trace the gangs connected to the incidents," he added.