Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested eight members of a gang of kidnappers who have long been kidnapping people in the name of selling land.

The elite force-10 also rescued a businessman, Alamgir Hossain, 42, from a house at Boubazar in Chhantek of Jatrabari in the capital on Monday. 

A toy pistol, three knives, a hammer, an iron machine, a stick, 13, mobile sets and some other things were seized from them.

Of the arrestees, Shahidul Islam was earlier arrested for posing as a policeman.

Commanding Officer of RAB-10 Mohammad Farid Uddin briefed reporters on the arrest at RAB’s Karwan Bazar Media Centre on Tuesday.

The officer said around 4:00pm on April 29, Alamgir, who runs a medicine store, left his house at Chandura in Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur to see a piece of land aiming to buy it.

As he did not return to his house, his wife lodged a general diary with Kaliakair Police Station.

The caller also demanded Tk five lakh as ransom for his release. Later, the wife of the victim contacted the RAB, said the officer. The force through the help of technology and intelligence found out the lair where the businessman was held hostage. The RAB rescued him and arrested the criminals.

During primarily interrogation, the gang members said that they brought the victim to Chandura intersection from where he was taken to a place in the name of showing a piece of land and finally picked up him to a CNG-run auto showing a toy pistol.

Then, he was taken to the house at Jatrabari where he was tortured inhumanly. At one point, they poured brunt oil on his body and he was hit with a live iron machine.

The arrestees said they used to bring rich men at Chandura in the name of showing them land.

Like Alamgir, they abducted a number of people, held them hostage at the lair in Jatrabari and took ransom from their families.

A case was filed against them with Kaliakair Police Station on Monday.