Man detained from street on suspicion found to be ‘listed top criminal’: DMP

A "listed top criminal", who was absconding in India for years, was arrested from Dhaka's Pallabi area early today.

A team of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit (CTTC) arrested Mofizur Rahman Mamun around 6:45 am from near Baitun Nur Jaame Mosque area, CTTC Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam told The Daily Star.

Mamun was accused in at least 27 cases for different crimes, including 10 for murder. He was sentenced to life term in a case.

According to a press release sent by DMP's media wing, CTTC officials had intelligence that a group of criminals were trying to gather firearms to carry out targeted killings.

Suspecting this was an attempt by militants, the officials started investigation and carried out a drive in Pallabi area -- picking up a person for interrogation.

During primary interrogation, the officials came to know that the arrestee was "top criminal" Mamun, the press release mentioned.

CTTC officials said Mamun was one of the top criminals from Mirpur area who "controlled the underworld in the area" before he was arrested in 2001. He came out of jail and fled to India in 2004.

Indian law enforcers arrested him in 2008 and he was jailed for 10 years for passport forgery and intrusion, the officials said.

After serving the jail term, Mamun stayed on in the neighbouring country and attempted to establish a "reign of terror" in Dhaka's Mirpur area with close contact and coordination with another fugitive top criminal Shahadat.

Mamun recently returned to the country from India, police said.

The Daily Star could not independently verify the claims.