The Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) yesterday arrested 11 imposters in Chittagong who used to rob or mug people impersonating DB and police officials.

They are: Haradhan Das, Mamun Uddin alias Mamun, Md Kaiser Hamid alias Raju, Md Jahidul Azam, Shahed Rana alias Shahed, Shawkat Ali, Selim Mahmud, Rezaul Karim, Md Rubel, Jahidul Karim, and Md Masud, aged between 28 and 51 years, said DB police.

Detectives also recovered two motorcycles, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, two jackets with “DB CMP” embroidered on it, a handcuff, a toy gun, and a walkie-talkie from their possession which they used during robbery, said Deputy Commissioner (DC) (North) Hasan Md Shawkat Ali of DB at a press briefing at CMP headquarters in the port city's Laldighi area.

Raju is the gang leader while Selim was a ward councillor under Rangunia upazila during a caretaker government, said the DC.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) (North) Md Kamruzzaman of DB told The Daily Star that the gang on December 28 picked up Imtiaz Uddin Imon, a student of City College Chittagong, in their auto-rickshaw from Love Lane area when he was returning home after withdrawing Tk 1.67 lakh from a bank.

They looted the money and dumped Imtiaj on Kadamtali flyover. The victim lodged a complaint with Kotwali police on Tuesday.

The gang mainly were active in Riajuddin Bazar and New Market areas as a number of financial institutions and banks are located there and perpetrated some 12 robberies and mugging, said the ADC.

Of the arrestees, Mamun is an accused in a murder case while Jahed is an electronics businessman who used to work as an informer for the gang, said police officials.

Rezaul was a first-grade contractor but got involved with crime after incurring losses, police sources added.