A large number of buyers of illegal arms in the capital are allegedly “expelled” ruling party leaders, the Detective Branch of police have learned from a sales list that was recently seized.
Based on information from arrested arms dealers and by analysing the register that listed the last couple of month’s sales, it was also found that illegal gun traders operated in 15 groups across Dhaka.
DB sources said the sales list was acquired following the arrest of three illegal arms traders from the capital’s Kalyanpur on Sunday. The arrestees – Moniruzzaman alias Shimul, Md Kamal Hossain and Ruhul Amin – are now on a three-day remand, while the DB police was investigating into the case.
The sales list showed that the biggest clientèle of the illegal arms dealers included muggers, goons and hit-men.
Seeking anonymity, a senior DB official, who was involved in the investigation process, said the sales list showed that a major percentage of illegal arms was procured by ruling party men. A huge quantity of those illegal arms was smuggled through the borders, the official added.
Asked about the number of illegal arms currently in circulation, DMP’s Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman said they did not yet have any exact figure, but added that raids against illegal arms traders were under way. A number of illegal arms traders have already been arrested, while the police have also achieved success in recovering illegal weapons and ammunition, Masudur claimed.
During interrogation, the arrested arms dealers said they usually brought their shipment of products into the city based on the demand from the clientèle, said a DB official who was present during the questioning. Most of the buyers wanted to purchase small and light weapons as it was easier to conceal them, the official quoted the arrestees as saying.
While searching the identities of the buyers mentioned in the arms sales list, the police found that a large number of the suspects claimed to be expelled leaders of the ruling party and its wings including the Chhatra League and the Jubo League, the official said. The DB police were now verifying the history of those suspects and would carry out an operation soon to arrest them, he added.
Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police, admitted that some of the suspected illegal arms buyers have claimed themselves to be political leaders; however their identities could not be verified immediately. Once the verification is complete, prompt action would be taken against those individuals, the DB chief added.
He, however, refused to disclose the identities of these “political leaders” as investigation was ongoing.
Contacted, DB Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanowar Hossain said at least 15 groups were involved in illegal gun trading, selling small weapons for Tk50,000-Tk60,000 and each bullet for Tk500-Tk600.
DB sources said the arrested arms dealers told the police that the carriers who brought the weapons into the capital from the border charged around Tk5,000-Tk10,000 for each gun. The cost of a 9mm pistol is around Tk12,000 in India; but once it crosses the border it becomes around Tk35,000, while it is sold by the capital’s illegal arms traders for around Tk60,000.
According to investigators, 59 border points are used to smuggle in weapons; among which Chapainawabganj district’s Monakosha, Masudpur, Monohorpur, Kironganj, Shingnagar points in Shibganj upazila are used as major routes for bringing in illegal arms.