G4S staffer stole Tk 30mn wearing mask

The mastermind behind the Tk 30 million theft at Group Four Securities (G4S) is its own security staff Shahidul Islam Shantanu.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said he was one of the guards in charge of securing the international security provider’s Chittagong Office before he decided to steal the money last Sunday.

Shantanu has admitted to taking the money after being arrested by the elite force in Rangamati College area on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, more than Tk 29 million of the stolen money was recovered from the home of one Bashirul Islam, a Moazzin for the mosque at Government City University College.

Law enforcers say Shantanu managed to flee since the news of the recovery was widely covered in media.

“(Shantanu) told us he studied management at Rangamati College besides working with G4S. He was planning to wait in Rangamati until the situation cooled down. He would have pulled up his documents from there and try to get a job somewhere else,” said RAB-7 Maj Md Jahangir.

“(Shantanu) and two others were in charge of securing G4S office on Sunday night. One of them was guarding the front gate and two including (Shantanu) were staying inside.”

“The keys to the first two rooms of the office used to be at the front desk. (Shantanu) waited until his colleague fell asleep and took the key from the front desk. He opened the first two rooms and entered the control room.”

“From there he took the keys to the vault, put on a mask and stole the money. He then took the money to Moazzin Bashir, who he knew from before.”

“(Shantanu) failed to enrol in the HSC in 2012 because he could not submit the City College’s form in time. The RAB officer said that is when he came to know the Moazzin.

“He used that connection to stash the money in Bashir’s bedroom.”

G4S Senior Manager Tarek Mansur filed a case at Khulshi Police Station after the theft and said it was done using a spare key of the vault.

The detectives along with Sadarghat and Khulshi station's police did the investigation.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Jalil Mandal after arresting Bashir on Tuesday said, “(Shantanu) took three sacks filled with the stolen money to Bashir’s house at dawn on Monday. They later moved the cash to two travel bags.”

"A masked man was seen stealing the money in the footage captured by the organisation's hidden camera. That's how the thief was identified."