Chattogram police have intensified their campaign against alleged organised criminal networks, with the Rayhan group now coming under renewed scrutiny following the arrest of two of its alleged close associates. Police say the suspects were detained in connection with a murder case and that firearms and ammunition were later recovered from Raozan based on information obtained during their initial questioning.
The two men, identified as 30-year-old Md Didar Alam and 30-year-old Md Afsar Mia, were arrested during a special checkpoint operation in the Shitalpur area of Sitakunda on Sunday evening (2 August). According to police, both are named accused in the murder case of Maksudul Haque Chowdhury and are believed to be close associates of Rayhan.
The details were disclosed by Chattogram District Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam at a press briefing held at the district police superintendent’s office on Monday (3 August).
According to the police chief, investigators used technology-assisted inquiries, CCTV footage and intelligence information to identify people allegedly linked to the murder of Maksudul Haque Chowdhury, who was killed in the Pahartali area of Chattogram city on 13 June. The arrest of Didar and Afsar was carried out as part of that investigation.
Police said preliminary questioning indicated that the two suspects had allegedly been involved for a considerable period in organised criminal activities in Raozan, Rangunia and surrounding areas. The allegations include extortion, attempts to establish territorial control and other forms of criminal activity.
The police also claimed that Didar Alam has 10 cases pending against him involving allegations including murder, arms offences, extortion and criminal activities. Afsar Mia, meanwhile, is facing six pending cases involving similar allegations. Investigators are also examining their alleged links to several high-profile or widely reported crimes in Chattogram city and the wider district.
Following the arrests, police conducted another operation late on Monday night in the Purba Raozan, or Jurulkul, area of Raozan. Acting on information allegedly provided by the two detainees, officers searched an area behind a residential house and recovered a foreign-made pistol, one magazine and two rounds of 7.65-calibre ammunition, police said.
The recovery has added a new dimension to the investigation, as authorities seek to establish whether the weapon was connected to any previous criminal activity. Further investigation is expected to determine how the firearm and ammunition came to be concealed at the location and whether other individuals were involved.
The latest arrests and weapons recovery come as Chattogram district police continue efforts to target alleged criminal groups operating in different parts of the region. Police have increasingly relied on intelligence gathering, CCTV analysis and technology-based investigation to identify suspects and trace their movements.
At the press briefing, Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam said the district police were following a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards terrorism, extortion, illegal firearms and organised crime. He said future operations would combine modern technology, intelligence-led policing and professional operational methods.
The police chief also warned that no individual involved in criminal activities would be allowed to remain beyond the reach of the law. The investigation into the murder case and the alleged criminal activities of the arrested men is continuing, while further legal action will be taken according to the findings of the investigation.
