Police stations turned into a dumping ground

Police stations in the capital have almost turned into a dumping ground for the seized and unclaimed vehicles.

Every month Detective Branch (DB) of police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), police and other law enforcement agencies seize a number of stolen vehicles, including car, microbus and motorcycles, and keep them on police station premises under the open sky.

As per the law, the police should auction off these seized and unclaimed vehicles after taking permission from the court when claimants are not found.

While visiting some police stations, it has been found that most of these vehicles got damaged because of lack of proper maintenance and for remaining unutilised for long.
The condition of about 70 percent vehicles has deteriorated to such an extent that they could only be sold as scrap.

Sources said the law enforcers usually try to find out the owner of a seized vehicle. But a vehicle has been dumped when the law enforcers cannot trace its owner or a trial involving the vehicles continues for long.

Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Badda police station, said, “When we seize any stolen vehicle, at first we try to find out the owner of the vehicle. If we get the owner, then we hand the vehicle over to him/her through court order.”

“If we cannot find the owner of a vehicle, then we send the vehicle number to BRTA,” he added.

The OC also said that “after completing all the procedure when it has been confirmed that we do not get the owner of the vehicle, we send the vehicle for auction.”

“When any case involving a vehicle is pending with a court, the vehicle has been kept in the custody of police as evidence,” he added.

Talking about the deteriorating condition of the vehicles at the police stations, he said “We have nothing to do for the delay in disposal of cases.”

“No car has been auctioned in the last eight months after I joined the police station,” he said.

SM Ashrafuzzaman, an assistant commissioner of DB police, said, “We have recently sent a proposal to the government so that law enforcement agencies can use these seized vehicles.”

Posted in: Police