RAB, BGB seize illegal arms in separate Teknaf raids; 1 arrested
The suspects fled into the forest, leaving behind 1 foreign revolver, 21 bullets, a long-barrel gun, an LG gun, a one-shot pistol, 14 rifle rounds, a long-bladed kris, 2 machetes, and additional ammunition
Separate operations conducted by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Teknaf have led to the recovery of a substantial cache of illegal arms and ammunition.
One suspect, identified as Mohammad Rubel (27), son of Abdul Gafur from West Leda in Hnila Union, Teknaf, and an associate of notorious criminal Shafi, was arrested.
At a press briefing today (16 July), RAB-15 Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Kamrul Hasan detailed the operation carried out on Tuesday evening. Acting on intelligence that Shafi and his armed accomplices were sheltering at the house of another criminal, Khalek, in West Leda, a RAB-15 team launched a three-hour raid.
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As the operation commenced, Shafi and his group opened fire and fled the scene. RAB chased them and managed to detain Rubel with a loaded firearm.
Based on Rubel's lead and in the presence of witnesses, RAB recovered 1 shotgun, 3 locally made guns, 12 live rounds, 42 empty cartridges, and 2 smartphones abandoned by the fleeing criminals.
RAB identified 11 of Shafi's accomplices: Mohammad Alam, Mohammad Khalek, Syed Nur, Russel alias Abbuiya, Kamal Hossain, Anwar Sadeq, Abdur Rahman, Robiul Hasan alias Robia, Abdul Awal alias Bura Potia, Mohammad Asif, and Imam Hossain.
The group has been involved in crimes including robbery, extortion, abduction, and drug trafficking in Teknaf's hilly and plain regions. Shafi currently faces 17 cases across various police stations—5 for abduction, 4 for firearms possession, 2 for attempted robbery, 3 for assault, 2 for murder, and 1 for obstructing state duties. Efforts to capture him and his associates are ongoing.
In a separate operation, the 64th BGB battalion recovered a significant quantity of arms and ammunition from a remote hideout in the Rongikhali hills of Hnila Union on Tuesday evening around 6:00pm.
Confirming the raid, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Jasim Uddin stated that the patrol team raided the area after spotting signs of criminal activity. The suspects fled into the forest, leaving behind 1 foreign revolver, 21 bullets, a long-barrel gun, an LG gun, a one-shot pistol, 14 rifle rounds, a long-bladed kris, 2 machetes, and additional ammunition.
The seized arms have been submitted to Teknaf Model Police Station as evidence, and further intelligence operations are underway against unidentified criminals.
