DB arrests ‘arms smuggler’ from Mirpur

Detective branch (DB) of police yesterday claimed to have arrested a member of an organised syndicate that is involved in selling firearms in the grey market, after smuggling those from India.

The transnational syndicate have at least four members in Bangladesh -- including a local public representative of a bordering district -- and two members in Indian part, Mashiur Rahman, deputy commissioner of DB (north) told The Daily Star.

The arrestee was identified as Hafizur Rahman. Police arrested him in front of Korea Technical Training Centre in the capital’s Mirpur, and seized four firearms and 17 rounds of bullets from his possession, said the DC. 

Hafizur was supposed to deliver the arms to a person in Dhaka but law enforcers arrested him before the deal was completed, said police.

In primary interrogation, Hafizur admitted to his involvement in arms trade for a long time, and said these illegal arms were allegedly used by criminal groups including militant outfits and political goons, said Mashiur.

Hafizur used to bring the firearms from Bonogram village of India’s North 24 Parganas with the help of his syndicate members Habibur Rahman and Zillur. A person name Jahangir used to supply the arms to the syndicate, and he used to charge Tk 30,000 for each gun, he said.

Syndicate members later smuggled those from Putkhali border point of Benapole in Jashore, said police.

The smugglers later sold those arms to the grey market, with the minimum price being Tk 50,000, said the deputy commissioner.

“We have got some names and clues about the syndicate members, and now we are conducting drives to arrest them,” added DC Mashiur.

He, however, refused to disclose details of other syndicate members for the sake of investigation.