520 juvenile gang members detained, 86 banned-group members arrested in 11 districts

Police have detained 520 members of juvenile gangs in 11 districts, including Chattogram, and arrested 86 members of banned organisations during a 24-hour special drive targeting mugging, extortion, terrorism and drug-related crimes.

Chattogram Range Police confirmed the figures in a press release issued on this afternoon (10 November).

According to the release, 258 of the 520 detained juvenile gang members were handed over to their guardians after signing undertakings, while legal action was taken against the remaining 262.

Cumilla recorded the highest number of detentions, with 244 people. The figures for other districts are Chattogram 89, Lakshmipur 47, Brahmanbaria and Noakhali 28 each, Chandpur 25, Cox’s Bazar 19, Rangamati 14, Khagrachhari 12, Bandarban 10 and Feni four.

Of the 86 members of banned organisations arrested, 29 were in Cumilla, 26 in Chattogram, 19 in Chandpur, four in Brahmanbaria, two each in Cox’s Bazar and Feni, and one each in Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Khagrachhari.

The drive also resulted in the arrest of 100 people in regular cases, 141 in previous cases, 45 under Section 34 of the Police Act and 10 under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Police also arrested 147 people under arrest warrants, 23 under conviction warrants and 27 under Section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and other laws.

In anti-drug operations, 58 drug users and 49 drug dealers were arrested in regular and other cases.

Police seized 13,926 yaba tablets, 25kg and 430g of cannabis, one bottle of Skaf syrup and 60 tapentadol tablets during the drive.

Mobile courts sentenced 24 people to imprisonment and fined them a total of Tk5,700 in connection with anti-drug operations. A total of 42 drug-related cases were also filed.

The special drive would continue in the public interest, the release added.