Chattogram district police plan to stop a suspected “crime corridor” between the hills and plains by setting up four APBn camps and installing more than 100 AI-powered CCTV cameras and thermal drones in three northern upazilas.
The plan targets Raozan, Rangunia and Fatikchhari, which police say have become key transit routes for criminals who allegedly descend from the hills to commit crimes before retreating into remote areas.
Police have identified routes connecting the three upazilas with Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban as a major channel for criminal movement.
More than 50 murders have been recorded in the upazilas over the past two years, according to police data. The killings have largely been linked to territorial disputes, clashes between criminal groups, extortion and control of the sand trade.
“Through several cases, we have found that criminals hiding in the hills come to Chattogram to carry out killing missions and then return to the hills,” Chattogram Superintendent of Police Md Masud Alam told TBS.
The proposed APBn camps will be located at Kadolpur in Raozan, Sarafbhata and Betagi in Rangunia, and Nazirhat in Fatikchhari.
The proposal, already sent to the home ministry, calls for 55 APBn members at each camp, compared with the usual 33-member strength of a platoon, reflecting the security risks in the areas.
Until the permanent camps are established, the police plan to deploy temporary Reserve Range Police Force (RRF) camps and checkpoints along key connecting routes.
AI to track criminals
The police are also turning to technology to tighten the net around the suspected corridor.
More than 100 AI-enabled CCTV cameras are planned for around 20-25 crime-prone points across the three upazilas. The cameras will be integrated with facial recognition technology to alert police when listed criminals enter monitored areas.
Photographs and other information on members of several criminal groups, including Fatikchhari-based David Emon and Raozan-based Raihan, have been collected. Their data are expected to be added to the facial recognition system.
Vehicle trackers will be used to monitor movement, while two advanced drones equipped with thermal cameras are planned for nighttime surveillance in forests and hilly terrain.
“There are several forest areas where we need to monitor the activities of criminals. We want to use thermal drones for surveillance,” SP Masud said.
He said the drones would be capable of capturing high-resolution images from a considerable distance, allowing police to monitor otherwise inaccessible areas.
“Our plan has been finalised and a letter has been sent to the police headquarters,” he added.
Hills suspected as arms route
Police officials also suspect that illegal firearms are entering the plains from the hill areas and are investigating possible links between armed groups in the hills and criminal networks in the plains.
According to police, criminals exploit the difficult terrain and remote routes to disappear into the hills after committing crimes, making it difficult to dismantle their networks through operations in the plains alone.
The three upazilas have at least 19 small and large tea gardens. A police report has identified several tea gardens and adjoining areas as vulnerable points for criminal movement.
Police believe shutting the corridor could help curb killings and extortion as well as illegal arms trafficking, sand extraction, hill cutting and juvenile gang activities.
David Emon group’s extortion
Police allege that the David Emon group in Fatikchhari collects around Tk1 crore a month in extortion from local businesses.
According to police, part of the money is allegedly sent to fugitive criminal Sajjad Ali, who is believed to be abroad.
Police said the group first gathered detailed information about business owners and their families before allegedly making calls from foreign numbers to threaten them with murder or harm to family members.
Businesses and homes were also allegedly targeted with gunfire when victims refused to pay, police said.
Experts seek quick action
Md Shakhawat Hossain, assistant professor of criminology and police science at the University of Chittagong, said the proposed measures should be implemented quickly to improve public safety and restore confidence among residents.
“If control can be established successfully in the upazilas, it could create fear among criminals and their patrons and serve as a test case for the police,” he told TBS.
The criminology teacher also stressed strengthening beat and community policing alongside technology-based surveillance, particularly along routes used for trafficking drugs and illegal firearms.
He warned that political or influential interference could undermine the initiative.
Police officials estimate that implementing the full plan could take two to six months. They hope the APBn camps, AI surveillance and tighter security along hill-plains routes will finally close the escape routes that have allowed criminal networks to operate across northern Chattogram.
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