A total of 1,080 people were arrested or detained during a 24-hour special operation by Chattogram Range Police targeting juvenile gangs, robbery, extortion, violent crime and drug-related offences.
The operation was conducted from Saturday, 3 October, until Sunday morning, 4 October, across districts under the Chattogram Range.
Chattogram Range Deputy Inspector General Abdul Quddus Chowdhury said 114 people were formally arrested during the operation. Among them, 69 were arrested in drug-related cases, while 45 were arrested in regular and other cases.
Police said 86 people were arrested in regular cases and 83 in previously filed cases. Another 44 were arrested under Section 34 of the Police Act, while four were detained under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A further 49 people were arrested under Section 151 and other laws.
The operation also led to the arrest of 96 people on warrants and 18 on warrants related to sentences. Including these arrests, police recorded a total of 1,080 arrests during the 24-hour period.
The anti-drug campaign resulted in additional legal action. Mobile courts sentenced 33 people to imprisonment, while fines amounting to Tk6,900 were collected. Police also filed 36 cases under the Narcotics Control Act.
A substantial quantity of suspected narcotics was recovered during the operation. Police seized 11,301 yaba tablets, 16kg 937g of cannabis, 82 litres 400 millilitres of locally produced liquor, 250 millilitres of foreign liquor, five bottles of cough syrup and 10 tapentadol tablets.
Police also arrested 23 members of the Awami League. Three were arrested in Chattogram, one in Cox’s Bazar, seven in Cumilla, 10 in Noakhali, one in Rangamati and one in Khagrachhari.
The operation placed particular emphasis on juvenile gang activity. Police detained 723 people in the campaign against juvenile gangs. Of them, 631 were released into custody after providing written undertakings, while legal action was taken against the remaining 92.
District-level figures showed that Chattogram recorded the highest number of juvenile gang detainees, with 253 people. Noakhali followed with 170, while 119 were detained in Chandpur. The figures for the other districts were 47 in Lakshmipur, 43 in Khagrachhari, 36 in Cox’s Bazar, 29 in Feni, 17 in Brahmanbaria and nine in Rangamati.
The wide-ranging operation brought together several strands of law enforcement, including action against juvenile gangs, narcotics, outstanding warrants and other criminal cases. The arrests and seizures formed part of efforts to address offences that affect public safety across the Chattogram Range.
Police said the special operation would continue in the public interest. Enforcement activities targeting juvenile gangs, drugs and other criminal offences are expected to remain part of the ongoing law-and-order measures across the region.
