Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-10) has arrested five individuals in connection with a gunfight over establishing dominance in the drug trade in Karatitola area of Gendaria, Dhaka, which left three bystanders injured.
Law enforcers recovered two foreign pistols, 12 rounds of ammunition, three magazines, Yaba, heroin, and cannabis during the operations.
RAB-10 Commanding Officer Additional DIG Md Asaduzzaman disclosed the details at a press conference organised at RAB Media Centre in Karwan Bazar on Thursday morning.
Notably, one of the three recovered magazines was identified as part of the arms and ammunition looted from the police after 5 August 2024.
According to RAB, the gunfight broke out on 30 August between rival groups, Monir Group and Auto Sajal Group, over drug trade supremacy under Gendaria Police Station.
Three bystanders, Asha Akter, 20 and Siam, 18, and local tea vendor Alamgir Hossain Rasel, sustained gunshot injuries in the crossfire.
Following the incident, a team from RAB-10 Jatrabari Camp launched a shadow investigation.
Suspects were identified by analysing CCTV footage from the scene and surrounding areas along with intelligence inputs.
Subsequently, Mohammad Zishan, 19, and Mohammad Ramjan, 19, were arrested from Munshirtek area of Gendaria around 7:30pm on 1 September. Another suspect, Mohammad Shaheen, 34, was arrested on 8 September.
In separate drives on Wednesday, RAB arrested Shabab Hossain Shaikat, 29, and Mohammad Mahim, 18.
During Shabab’s arrest, officers seized two foreign pistols, 12 rounds of ammunition, three magazines, alongside 420 Yaba tablets valued at Tk3.13 lakh, 400 packets of heroin, 900 grams of cannabis, cash, and other evidence.
RAB stated that Shabab is a named accused in three drug cases registered at Jatrabari Police Station.
Legal proceedings are being initiated against the five arrestees, while investigations continue to trace the sources of the weapons, narcotics, and looted police ammunition, as well as identify other accomplices.
Earlier, Detective Branch (DB) arrested four other individuals in connection with the same shootout, recovering two foreign pistols, two magazines, two rounds of ammunition, a switchblade knife, a sharp dagger, and 160 Yaba tablets.
