Four people have been arrested with a large cache of firearms, ammunition, and weapon-making equipment in separate drives conducted by the Detective Branch (North) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police and Bayezid Bostami Police Station.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Md Habibur Rahman confirmed the matter on Thursday.
The arrestees are Md Hasan, 28, Nur Uddin Sohel, 30, Tapas Palit, 51, and Dipak Kanti Dey, 58.
The deputy commissioner said Md Hasan was arrested around 10:30pm on Wednesday from the Dreamland residential area under Bayezid Bostami Police Station. A machete was recovered from his waist.
Based on his information, police conducted a raid at a house in Hathazari around 1:45am and recovered two locally made shotguns, a single-barrel gun, 20 live cartridges, a shotgun barrel, a recoiling spring, and three more machetes.
He said Hasan admitted during primary interrogation that he had long been involved in criminal activities using illegal firearms across different areas of the city. Multiple cases, including theft, assault, and attempted murder, are pending against him.
In another raid on the same day, police arrested Nur Uddin Sohel from the Link Road area under Bayezid Bostami Police Station. A foreign-made pistol, 18 rounds of pistol ammunition, and two rounds of Chinese rifle ammunition were recovered from him.
Based on his information, police later arrested Tapas Palit and Dipak Kanti Dey and recovered another foreign-made pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition.
Police said the arrestees had long been involved in the illegal trade and supply of firearms. Cases have been filed against them under the Arms Act.
