Arsa commander’s brother carried Bangladeshi ID

Police have found that Mohammad Shah Ali, the brother of Ataullah Abu Amar Jununi, commander of Myanmar's banned militant organisation Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (Arsa), bears a Bangladeshi national identity card.

Shah Ali is a permanent resident of the Joynob Colony of the Dewanbazar area under Kotwali Police station in Chattogram city.

His temporary address is Bloc-C, Rohingya Camp-6 of Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya upazila, according to the statement of a case filed by Md. Ruhul Azam, sub-inspector of Armed Police Battalion (APBn) against Shah Ali.

The case was filed with Ukhiya Police Station on Sunday, about 14 hours after Shah Ali was arrested from a Rohingya refugee camp. Arms and narcotics were recovered during the drive.

"It has been known locally that the arrestee is a member of Arsa. He is also an armed criminal and kingpin of a gang that is involved with abduction and runs drug trading. In interrogation, the accused has admitted that he used to keep firearms in possession for self-security while trading drugs," read the case statement.

Arsa members were allegedly behind the murder of popular Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah killed in a brushfire at the camp on September 29 last year and the killing of six Rohingya men in October.

However, the law enforcers repeatedly denied any existence of Arsa activities at the Refugee camp.

Contacted, Ukhiya Police Station's officer-in-charge Ahmed Sanjur Morshed said three cases have been filed against Shah Ali and his associate, Mohammad Zobayer, also a Rohingya refugee.

Shah Ali was sent to jail yesterday through a court, Morshed said.