Police search govt vehicle, arrest three arms smugglers in Jashore

Detectives arrested three arms smugglers along with a foreign made pistol, 2 magazines and 6 rounds of bullets from a government vehicle in Lauzani rail crossing area of Jashore's Jhikargacha upazila last night.

The arrestees are Rajib Sheikh, 26, of Narkhali village of Pirojpur district headquarters, Jeelan Sheikh, 55, of Sairabad village under Rampal Police Station of Bagerhat, and Mehedi Hasan, 30, of Jagipur village of Khanjahan Ali police station of Khulna.

Among them, Mehedi Hasan is the driver of Khulna Agrani Bank's Manager Maidul Islam, police said.

A team of Detective Branch of police searched a Pajero of the bank manager, Maidul, around 11:30pm and arrested the three arms smugglers along with the pistol, magazines and bullets.

Rupan Kumar Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Jashore District DB Police, in a press release said acting on a tip-off, a team of DB police took position in Luzani rail crossing area on Benapole-Jashore Highway.

When a Khulna-bound Pajero from Benapole reached the area, DB police stopped the vehicle and arrested them, the OC said.

Despite being a government vehicle, it was being used for illegal arms trading, police said.

According to Jashore DB Police, Rajib was accused in three drug cases and one arms-related case and three theft cases and one case under arms act was filed against Mehdi, the OC said.

A case has been lodged with Jashore Kowali Police Station over the incident.