Moazzin arrested with Tk 30mn stolen from G4S

Detectives have recovered almost Tk 30 million stolen from the Chittagong office of Group Four Securities, an international security solutions group.

The money was recovered at the house of a Moazzin of Government City University College Mosque.

Police Sub-Inspector Santosh Chakma said a person carrying Tk 2.99 crore was apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday.

The man has been identified as Md Bashir, 28, and was arrested in his bedroom on a tip-off and the money was found inside his bag, he told bdnews24.com

The culprit of the theft Shahidul Haq Shantanu is yet to be detained. He has fled after hearing of the Moazzin's arrest, said Commissioner Abdul Mandal at a press conference at Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) headquarters.

Shantanu, 24, is a security worker of the organisation.

The theft issue was disclosed in the early hours of Sunday. But the commissioner claimed that police were not informed why so much money was kept there in that manner.

Senior Manager Tarek Mansur filed a case at Khulshi Police Station after the stealing, which was done by a spare key of the vault containing the money. The detectives along with Sadarghat and Khulshi station's police did the investigation.

"The money being taken out by a masked man was recorded in footage of the organisation's hidden camera. That's how the thief was identified," the police commissioner said.

Media blamed

Although the money has been salvaged, Commissioner Mandal has blamed the media for security worker Shantanu's escape.

He said the mastermind of the theft fled as the news of Moazzin Bashir's arrest spread.

"I was also contacted on the issue of recovery of the money. I told them to wait for a bit. But several television channels ran scrolls."

However, he thinks Shantanu will soon be detained.

Police 'did not know'

The Group Four case stated that Tk 30 million was stolen from Tk 530 million in the vault.

When the officials present at the press conference were asked why so much money was deposited there, they gave no answer.

An executive of the G4S, Md Tarek said they had permission from Bangladesh Bank to keep money in their custody.

When asked if police had any knowledge about the deposited money, the new CMP commissioner Mandal passed the question to OC Mainul Islam.

He said police were never informed about it by Group Four.

Investigation over the case will include all issues, said the commissioner.