Joint ops against illegal arms producing good results: IGP

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Mainul Islam today said the ongoing joint operation to recover illegal firearms has already produced good results and expected that more will be recovered as the drives progress.

He said the police are currently conducting operations to confiscate three categories of firearms: those that were stolen or lost from the police, SSF, and other security forces; firearms with suspended licenses; and illegal firearms.

"We have already recovered many arms, many have abandoned [illegal firearms]… we are expecting that the drives would produce the expected results." He told journalists at the secretariat about the operation that started yesterday (Tuesday) at midnight.

Referring to the firearms, sold during the last 15 years, he said that the license of those arms and ammunition had been suspended and the owners of those were instructed to submit those to local police stations.

"We gave a deadline to submit those on September 3. Those firearms which are not submitted are now illegal," he said.

Asked about taking actions against people involved with crimes and corruption during the drive, IGP said the drives have brought results in that regard too.

"We have arrested two former police chiefs and even serving police officers. The process will continue.

Earlier, Obaidur Rahman, deputy police commissioner, told AFP that two former top police officers have been detained in connection to the violent suppression of the protests and have been placed on remand.

Both men face accusations of murder, although formal charges have not yet been made.

They include former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, who quit a day after Hasina fled and has been taken into custody, Dhaka Metropolitan Police said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Police said he had "expressed his willingness to surrender -- due to a case against him -- while he was under army custody".

He was placed under remand for eight days on Wednesday, Rahman said.

Another top officer, AKM Shahidul Haque, who had been police chief from 2014 to 2018, was detained on Tuesday and placed on remand for seven days, Rahman said.

Asked about the joint drive, Adviser to the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry AF Hassan Arif said the primary goal of the joint drive is recovering the firearms and taking legal actions against those who haven't submitted yet.

The adviser came up with the remark in reply to a reporter's query at the secretariat.

According to AFP, more than 3,700 weapons of different types had been recovered during an amnesty to surrender guns that ended on Tuesday.

However, more than 2,000 weapons, including rifles, are missing, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition and hundreds of tear gas canisters and stun grenades.

The army and police, as well as other security force units including the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Ansar forces, are taking part in the weapons sweep.