At least 25 people were hospitalised after becoming the victims of Aggyan party during the Eid holidays.
Members of law enforcement agencies arrested four criminals in this connection and recovered drugs used in theoperation.
Barisal Metropolitan Police and Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) sources said a total of 25 water and road transport passengers were rescued and admitted to hospital in a critical condition.
Pie Aggyan party members looted their all belongings.
Among the victims Sabuj, Sohel, Ali Hossain, Shakil and Al-Amin, passengers of MV Suravi-7, and Mehedi Hassan, a passenger of Suravi Paribahon, • were found senseless and admitted to hospital yesterday.
Ali Hossian, 32, who was undergoing treatment at SBMCH, said, "I can only remember that I was going to Barisal from Dhaka by a passenger launch on Wednesday evening."
"When I came round yesterday evening, I found myself lying on the hospital bed. 1 was carrying- Tk- 15,000, which is
nowmissing," he added.
Dr Syed Jahid Hossian, principal of die SBMCH, said most of the victims took foods like juice, coconut juice or biscuits mixed with sedatives.
He said elderly persons having different physical complaints like diabetes can die after taking such drugs.
Kalam, Rubel and Sabuj, three members of Aggyan party, were caught by fellow passengers aboard Suravi -7 when they were trying to loot valuables of a passenger named Al-Amin after making him unconscious.
They were handed over to Barisal police.
Hayatul Islam Khan, assistant commissioner (AC) of Barisal Metropolitan Police, said the arrestees usually mix one kind of sedative having no taste or smell with different kinds of tasty foods like sandwich or juice to feed their targets.
Stressing the need for creating awareness against taking foods from unknown persons while traveling, he said police are on alert and trying their best to check such incidents at the launch terminal.
The AC said several gangs of muggers are now operative as the drugs are available in local markets at cheaper price.