Dinajpur,Joypurhat Borders
20 firearms recovered, 5 held in last 10 months
Law enforcers recovered 20 firearms, nine magazines and 65 bullets from different bordering areas of Dinajpur and Joypurhat districts in last 10 months and arrested five people in this connection.
The recovered arms are made in different countries including Germany, Italy, Pakistan and India, say reports of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Bangladesh Rifles.
However, the arms recovery in last 10 months is poor compared to the flow of illegal arms, said sources of security agencies.
Cross-border smugglers are reportedly using SIM cards of cell phone operators of the two countries up to two to three hundred metres inside the Indian and Bangladesh territories as there is no interception of cell phone communication in the border areas, sources said.
Criminals use Chechra border of Pachbibi upazila in Joypurhat, Haripukur and Ghashuria border of Hakimpur upazila, Katla border of Birampur upazila in Dinajpur, Haldibari of Panchagarh and Daikhawa of Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat as routes for smuggling arms and drugs, said Rab, BDR and intelligence sources.
The small arms can be easily carried under clothes worn in body while arms traders across the country have established good communication with the arms smuggling syndicates to make those available to criminals, the main buyers of the smuggled arms.
On February 8, Rab arrested Md Nurul Islam with pistol, two magazines and six bullets from Bartibaigram village near Hili border area under Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur.
On March 23, Humyun Kabir and Aminur Rahman, hailing from Dangapara border village under Hakimpur upazila were arrested with two revolvers, two magazines and 12 bullets.
On March 28, two shotguns and two revolvers and five bullets were recovered from Bizul village of Birampur upazila in Dinajpur.
A 9mm American pistol, a magazine and six bullets were recovered from Churipatty on Hili border of Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur on April 17 this year.
Rab recovered an American revolver with five bullets from bordering Mathpara village under Hakimpur on April 24 and arrested one Jahaingir Hossain.
Joypurhat-3 Battalion of BDR on May 3 recovered a 9mm American pistol, a magazine and seven bullets from Chechra border under Pachbibi upazila of Joypurhat.
On May 22, Rab recovered a firearm at Hili border under Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur and arrested Suzan Miah of village Shatkuri under Hakimpur upazila.
BDR Joypurhat-3 Battalion recovered a revolver from Dangapara border of Hakimpur upazila on July 3 last year.
The authorities of India and Bangladesh should have bilateral agreement to ensure prevention of signal receiving across the border to help to minimise cross border crimes including smuggling of arms and drugs, said a security official in Rangpur seeking anonymity.
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