The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Electric transformers are now available at Tk 2 lakh to Tk 2.50 lakh at the city's clandestine markets. Thieves usually steal these transformers from the Power Development Board (PDB) or DESA's electric poles at night and sell those at Tk 50,000 each in the clandestine markets. Members of an organised gang of thieves confessed this to police after they were interrogated in custody yesterday.

It is learnt that a team of the Gazipur Detective Branch of Police arrested mastermind of transformer thieves Nabi, 30 from Gazipur area on Friday evening. Under questioning, he confessed to the police that he along with his accomplices steal electric transformers from different parts of the city and sell those at five factories at Nandipara in Khilgaon area.

Later at night, a team of the Detective Branch of Gazipur Police led by Gazipur Sadar Circle ASP Masud went to Motijheel Police Station and met with the Assitant Commissioner there. They also went to Khilgaon Police Station and met with the officer-in-charge.

Late at night the detectives along with the police forces from both Motijheel and Khilgaon Police Stations went to Nandipara area in Khilgaon and recovered as many as 56 small and large stolen transformers worth Tk 2 crore along with huge quantities of valuable spare parts labeled with PDB, REB and DESCO were recovered carrying out a massive raid into five factories. During the raid, starting from Friday night to yesterday morning, the detectives recovered the transformers from Mili Electric Company at Newazbagh in Madhya Nandipara, Akabar Ali's Factory at Shekher Jaiga, SS Electrical Company at 1638 East Nandipara, AHK Electrical Company at 24 Madhya Nandipara and Eastern Electric at Trimohoni.

Learning about the arrival of police, the thieves managed to flee away. None of the possessors of the transformers could produce any valid documents or demanded the ownership of the seized transformers.

The recovered transformers were identified as stolen from the city's Paltan, Ramna and Hazaribagh thana areas.