Jatrabari police have arrested Ismail Hossain, a notorious figure known as “Auto Sajal,” and three of his associates during operations in the capital, seizing a significant quantity of firearms, ammunition, and narcotics.
The arrested individuals were identified as Sajal, 31, Md Bappi, 28, Md Hanif, 40, and Mst Shamsunnahar, 45. Sources within the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) described Sajal as a “godfather” of illegal arms and drug trafficking in the Wari area, read a press release.
The crackdown on the syndicate followed an incident on Monday, when an inspector from the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) was shot in the leg by unidentified criminals during a special anti-drug drive.
A case was subsequently filed with Wari Police Station regarding the attack. During the investigation, police initially apprehended three suspects and recovered three weapons.
These suspects later provided confessional statements before a court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, identifying Auto Sajal as the supplier of the firearm used against the DNC official.
Following this revelation, police across the Wari Division launched a coordinated manhunt for the top terrorist.
A specialised team from Jatrabari Police Station, acting on a tip-off, arrested Sajal in the Sayedabad area at approximately 9:10 pm on Thursday, 18 June. Police records indicate that Sajal is an accused in 11 previous criminal cases filed with different DMP stations.
During interrogation, Sajal admitted to storing a cache of arms and drugs in a rented flat in the Swamibagh area under Gendaria Police Station.
At around 9:50pm that same night, police raided the Swamibagh residence, leading to the arrest of the three associates and the recovery of two “Taurus” brand pistols, four magazines, and 77 rounds of live ammunition.
The search also resulted in the seizure of 59 grams of heroin, 87 grams of “Medi” used for heroin preparation, and 22,960 Taka in cash, which is believed to be proceeds from drug sales.
Additionally, four mobile phones used for criminal activities were confiscated from the site. Legal proceedings are currently underway, and separate cases are being registered against the suspects under the Arms Act and the Narcotics Control Act.
