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Phoney BRTA officials nabbed


Published : 08 May 2019 08:57 PM | Updated : 05 Sep 2020 08:51 PM

Introducing themselves as officials of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), a gang of organised thugs has been conducting its one stop service centers for ‘easy delivery’ of vehicle papers since long. And they even provided document-receipt slips among the applicants to dodge the ordinary people who came to get papers for their vehicles, confessed gang members to law enforcers after their arrest.

A special squad of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested five members of such a gang involved in making fake documents of vehicles since around ten years. They were preparing fake route permit, fitness certificate, registration certificate, tax token and other papers. While addressing a press conference, Additional Commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Abul Baten made the disclosure.

The arrested have been identified as Abdul Khaleq, Anwarul HaqueShimul, Abdul Jalil, Abdur Rahim and Motaleb Hossain. They were cheating ordinary people in the name of providing original papers at a very low price. But they actually were providing fake papers, resulting in innumerable fake papers already being distributed among several people by the fraud groups.

Baten said, “Getting secret information, a team of DB raided Kafrul area in the city on Tuesday and arrested five members of the gang.” Police also seized large numbers of fake route permit forms, route permits, registration certificates, fitness certificates , tax tokens, insurance forms, insurance stamp stickers, document-receiving slips, 150 digital number plates and other fake papers from their possession.

They mainly target hijacked and stolen cars and prepare fake documents for them. Besides, they also target people who come from remote areas of the country because these people even do not know that the papers are actually fake papers. Adl Commissioner Baten termed it a dangerous problem. During primary interrogation, the arrested criminals admitted that they charge amounts on the basis of the types of the vehicles, background of the drivers and the demand. They supply all the fake papers from one desk like at the one-stop service centers in exchange of huge amount in bribes.

They supply fake papers after editing by using some high-end professional editing software. They themselves sign the fake documents and distribute them among their clients. In this way, they earn Tk 5 to 6 thousand from each car. Anwarul and Jalil were arrested earlier for making fake papers. After getting bail, they re-started the forgery.

Responding to a question, Baten said, “We shall continue our raids to nab all others absconding criminals involved in the rackets.” He however, suggested the BRTA be more active and make service easier and speedier. Otherwise, ordinary people will be cheated by this type of group. While replying to another question, he said, “So far have not got any names of BRTA officials involved in this syndicate. If we do, we shall also take legal steps against them,” he vowed.