Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested 17 suspected robbers with local weapons while they were preparing for robberies in Cox's Bazar district.
RAB-15 Cox's Bazar Battalion Senior Assistant Director (Law and Media) and Additional Superintendent of Police Md Abu Salam Chowdhury said they conducted separate raids at Vaditala in the newly formed Eidgaon upazila and Kuliapara in Sadar upazila of the district on Wednesday midnight. The RAB officer said on Wednesday midnight, a RAB team conducted an operation on the news that some armed people had gathered in the garden of a writer in Vaditala area of Eidgaon Upazila. When RAB men reached the spot, 10/15 people with their weapons tried to run away after realising the presence of law enforcers. During the chase, they were able to arrest nine persons, but others escaped.
During the raid, the elite force recovered local weapons, iron rod, stick, torch lights, nine mobile phones and Tk 3,000 in cash from them.
The arrestees are Asifur Rahman Asif, 21, Md Abdul Jalil alias Kaiser, 22, Abdullah Alam Muhim, 23, Md Nahim, 21, Sajjad Mia, 21, Shahriaz Osman Hriday, 20, Md Ismail Uddin alias Gura Mia, 20, Abdul Malek alias Malek, 24, and Md Parvez, 23. They hailed from different areas of Chakaria and Maheshkhali upazilas in Cox's Bazar district.
In another raid, eight robbers were arrested with local weapons while preparing for a robbery at Kuliapara in Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila on Wednesday midnight, said RAB senior assistant director Md Abu Salam Chowdhury.
He said RAB received information that some people gathered at Kuliapara with an intention to commit robbery and looting in the tourist area of Cox's Bazar. When a team of RAB reached the spot, the members of the robbers tried to run away in different directions. During the chase, eight people were arrested.
One ramda, three daggers, an axe, an iron pipe and a wooden stick were found with the arrestees, he said.
RAB said all those arrested were members of an organised gang of robbers. There are multiple cases against each of them on various charges, including robbery.
He said two separate cases have been filed with Cox's Bazar Sadar and Eidgaon Police Stations against the arrested persons.
