Ringleader among 363 detained in Cumilla crackdown on teen gangs
Four alleged top gang members arrested in wider operation
Police detained 363 people, including alleged gang leader Imran Hossain Ratan, 19, during a district-wide crackdown on teen gangs in Cumilla on Friday night.
The operation was carried out simultaneously across 18 police station areas, including Cumilla city, with different police units and the Detective Branch (DB) taking part, Additional Superintendent of Police Md Lutfur Rahman said today (3 October).
He said the drive began after Maghrib prayers and continued until late at night, with police raiding areas where complaints of nuisance by teenagers had been reported.
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A total of 363 people were detained, and their possible involvement in criminal activities will be verified before legal action is taken, Lutfur said.
Police said strict monitoring is also being carried out to ensure that no innocent person is harassed. The superintendent of police and other senior officers directly participated in the operation.
Four alleged top gang members arrested
As part of the ongoing crackdown, the Cumilla District DB also reported the arrest of four alleged top members of two teen gangs, "Raw" and "Crime Setup", during raids in Cumilla and Cox's Bazar.
Imran Hossain Ratan was identified as the ringleader of the "Raw" gang. Saiful Islam, 20, another member of the gang, was also arrested.
The other two arrested were "Crime Setup" members Sabbir, better known as Point Sabbir, 24, and Robiul Islam Nabi, better known as King Maker, 24.
Police said Ratan has nine cases against him, including cases related to murder, snatching and drugs, while Saiful faces 10 cases over various offences. Sabbir and Nabi each have one case against them.
District police said the special operation began on 20 September and has since been conducted intermittently over 10 days across Cumilla to curb teen gang activity, drug-related offences, extortion, snatching and territorial dominance.
More than 2,000 teenagers have been detained for questioning during the operation, police said. After verification, legal action was taken against those found involved in criminal activities, while those with no involvement were handed over to their guardians.
Police said many members of teen gangs have gone into hiding amid the ongoing operations, but efforts to arrest them are continuing.
Lutfur said such operations would continue to curb teen gang activity and related crimes in the district.
He also urged parents to remain vigilant about whom their children associate with and where they go.
