Tempo passengers in the city are increasingly becoming easy targets of organised gangs of muggers operating allegedly in connivance with a section tempo drivers and helpers.

Several mugging incidents in the last two days in Mahakhali, Gulshan, Banani, Farm Gate and New Market areas indicate that the gangs resort to the same tactics in all cases.

The gangs comprising about five or more each usually start their activities in the evening rush hours. Members of a gang board a tempo, occupy most of the seats in it and keeps on waiting. As soon as three or four passengers get in, the tempo starts moving towards its destina-

tion. When it reaches a 'suitable place', passengers are robbed and forced out of the vehicle.

Gulshan police received three reports of similar mugging incidents in Mahakhali and Chairmanbari areas. In one incident, a traffic policeman and a victim caught three muggers along with the tempo. The three youths and the vehicle were taken to Gulshan thana. But the victim did not go there. In the absence of any complainant, police filed a case against the three charging them with 'obstructing police from performing their professional duties'.

Dhanmondi, Lalbagh and Tejgaon police said they had also received reports of such incidents.

A senior police official mentioned that in most cases, victims do not file complaints with the thanas. They are commuters using the same route every day and they fear reprisal from the organised gangs, he added.

" When a victim files a case, the gang immediately collects his address and whereabouts and his life is under threat," he said.

" Do you remember Dr Mosharraf who was gunned down in front of his daughter over a year ago at Ring Road, Mohammadpur? He was killed because he had caught a pickpocket, beat him and then went to their den to claim his money back," the official said.

He admitted that there are 'many organised crimes' in the city about which the victims keep mum.

"Police can catch these criminals easily. But first someone from the top will have to tell them to concentrate on these crimes," he said requesting customary anonymity.