Forty-four members of mugging and dope gangs were arrested from the capital's Paltan, Motijheel, Shahbagh and Khilgaon Tuesday, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) said.
The elite force also seized sharp weapons and sedatives from them.
Several Rab teams conducted simultaneous drives in Paltan, Motijheel, Shahbagh and Khilgaon from the evening and continued them till late night, Rab-3 Additional Superintendent of Police Bina Rani Das said Wednesday.
During primary interrogation, the dope gang members said they operate at launch terminals, bus stands and railway stations. They target passengers and give them sedatives mixed with coconut water, soft drinks, juices, and drinking water. Later take away their money and valuables.
The mugging gang members said they lurk in the alleys of the capital. They mug pedestrians, rickshaw riders, and CNG-run auto-rickshaw passengers, brandishing sharp weapons.
The muggers are active in and around Khilgaon, Malibagh Rail Gate, Dainik Bangla intersection, Pir Jangi Mazar crossing, Kamalapur Battala, Motijheel Calvert Road, Nasirertek of Hatirjheel, Shahbagh, Gulbagh, Rajuk crossing, UBL crossing, Paltan intersection, Golap Shah Mazar crossing, High Court crossing, Abdul Gani Road, Maniknagar Stadium, Nandipara Bridge, and Basabo crossing from evening till dawn.