Police seize 4 foreign pistols, 12 rounds bullets in Gendaria; six held

Police have arrested six people and recovered four foreign-made pistols, three magazines and 12 rounds of ammunition from a flat in the Swamibagh-Karatitola area of Gendaria in Dhaka.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner (Crime) Md Faruk Hossain disclosed the information at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Monday (August 24).

The arrested are Md Sajib, 28, Md Himu, 32, Md Tushar, 25, Md Joy, 25, Md Tutul, 33, and Md Imran, 34.

According to police, they first set up a checkpoint near Mukti Filling Station at the Matuail U-turn in Jatrabari after receiving information that a private car was being used to transport illegal drugs from Chattogram to Dhaka.

Police stopped a white private car and detained five people inside it. Although no drugs were found in the vehicle or on the occupants, investigators obtained further information during questioning and later raided a flat in Swamibagh.

Acting on information provided by Sajib and Himu, police searched a room and recovered four foreign-made pistols, three magazines and 12 rounds of ammunition from a plastic bag hidden under a bed. A private car and six smartphones were also seized.

Police said Sajib is the younger brother of Sajol alias Auto Sajol, whom they describe as a top-listed criminal and alleged arms and drug dealer in the Wari area.

Investigators also linked the case to an earlier shooting of a Department of Narcotics Control inspector during an anti-drug operation on March 2. Three suspects were arrested in that case, and several firearms and rounds of ammunition were recovered.

Police said statements recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure indicated that Sajol allegedly supplied weapons used in that incident.

Sajol was arrested in the Sayedabad area on June 18. Based on information obtained from him, police later raided his rented residence in Swamibagh and recovered two Taurus-brand pistols, four magazines, 77 rounds of ammunition, 59 grams of heroin, materials used to process heroin, Tk 22,960 in suspected drug proceeds and four mobile phones.

Two separate cases under the Arms and Narcotics Control Acts have been filed with Gendaria Police Station over the latest recovery.

Police said legal proceedings against the six newly arrested suspects are underway.