• The suspects had falsely claimed their motive was to help a kidney patient
• In reality, their goal was to purchase an iPhone and a motorcycle

TDS Desk

Police have disclosed new details about a foiled bank robbery attempt by three teenagers in South Keraniganj’s Kadamtali Khalpar area.

The suspects, inspired by video games and movies, had planned the heist at the Rupali Bank’s Jinjira branch over the past month. However, their attempt was thwarted when they surrendered to law enforcement late Thursday afternoon.

Lion Molla, 22, along with two teen accomplices, took 16 hostages, including 10 bank employees, during the robbery attempt. Police revealed that the group had been scouting the bank and surrounding area for weeks. Upon executing the heist, they destroyed CCTV cameras and tampered with the bank’s hard drive to erase evidence of their crime.

Dhaka District Superintendent of Police (SP) Ahmad Muyeed revealed during a press conference that the teens were motivated by their desire for adventure, fueled by movies and video games. “They looted Tk1.5 million from the bank’s counters and hid an additional Tk300,000 in their pockets,” Muyeed said.

Law enforcement swiftly surrounded the bank after receiving reports of the robbery, and the robbers surrendered by 5:30pm. Police recovered Tk1.8 million in cash, four toy guns, and two locally-made knives.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mazharul Islam of South Keraniganj police station shared further insights on Friday, confirming that the teens had falsely claimed their motive was to help a kidney patient. “In reality, they were aiming to buy an iPhone and a motorcycle,” he added.

Lion Molla, the alleged leader, is from Gopalganj but had been living in Savar. The other two suspects are local residents of Keraniganj. Authorities have filed a case, and while Molla has been remanded for further investigation, the minors will be sent to a juvenile correctional facility.

The police are continuing their investigation into whether others were involved in the plot.