Top listed criminal Azim among five arrested from Dhaka: KMP

Detectives of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) arrested five accused, including a top listed criminal, from parts of Dhaka, said the authority today (2 February).

The top listed criminal is Md Nur Azim, 28, while his cohorts are Md Riazul Islam alias Dada Mia, 35, Faisal Ahmed Dwip, 25, Mohammad Rana Talukdar, 29, and Nayeem alias Md Kamruzzaman Nayeem, 25.

Md Taimur Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Detective Branch at the KMP, said being tipped-off they conducted drives in Gulshan, Badda, Khilkhet, Bashundhara and other areas yesterday (1 January) and arrested the five.

Of the arrestees, Azim is the top listed criminal and accused in over 50 cases, including, killing, arms, drugs and others, he said.

The KMP commissioner had earlier announced a bounty to arrest Azim, the OC said, adding that Azim stepped in crimes through a teen gang in 2017 in Khulna city.

Moreover, the rest arrestees are accused of several cases, including extortion, ransom, human trafficking, arms, and robbery, the detective official said.

The arrestees are supposed to be produced before a Khulna court on Thursday to take the next course of legal actions, he added.

Based on information gleaned from Azim after his arrest, KMP recovered a foreign rifle, six rounds of bullets, one pistol and a magazine from his possession.

In a press briefing held at KMP headquarters today (2 January), KMP officials said they had prepared a report on the top three terror groups active in Khulna city at the end of 2023.

The three groups are Ashik Group, Azim Group and Grenade Babu Group, who had been involved in various crimes including drug peddling, land grabbing, extortion, arms sales and killing on hire, KMP said.

After the political changeover of 5 August, the activities of these groups grew due to the inactivity by police. KMP then prepared a list of 12 leaders of these groups and started the process of arresting them to bring the situation under control, KMP added.

Additional Commissioner of KMP Abu Rayhan Mohammad Saleh said, "We have arrested three of the 12 leaders of the terror groups. KMP is conducting drives to nab the rest."

According to the list prepared by KMP in 2023, Nur Azim used to run a group of 14 members. He is the son of Shanu Muhuri from the city's Tutpara area.

Azim went to jail previously in an arms case but came out on bail. Later, he again became an accused in a murder case.

Since then, he had been absconding, KMP informed.