Police have uncovered an alleged illegal arms manufacturing workshop in Maheshkhali upazila of Cox’s Bazar and detained a man along with a large quantity of tools and equipment used to make firearms.
The detainee was identified as Rahmat Ullah alias Bashi, 30, of Mohammadpur-Telipara in Chhota Maheshkhali.
According to police, a team led by Sub-Inspector Mohammad Iqbal Hossain conducted a special operation in the Mithachhari Bazar area of Shaplapur Union on Saturday night following a tip-off. Rahmat Ullah was initially detained by local residents and later taken into police custody.
Police said Rahmat Ullah had rented a house in the hills of Mithachhari West Para a few days earlier. Acting on information provided during questioning, officers searched the house and recovered suspected firearm components and manufacturing equipment from beneath a bed.
The seized items included wooden gun stocks, trigger mechanisms, firearm barrel parts, triggers, springs and other components, along with drills, grinders, hammers, saws, screwdrivers, a lathe and other tools.
Police said Rahmat Ullah also disclosed information about another alleged accomplice who remains at large. Investigators suspect the group had been manufacturing locally made firearms and selling them in different areas for some time.
A case was filed with Maheshkhali Police Station under Section 19A of the Arms Act, 1878.
Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Abdus Sultan said police had successfully identified the alleged arms workshop and seized the manufacturing equipment. He added that several police teams were working to arrest others allegedly involved in the illegal operation.
Local residents have welcomed the police operation and urged authorities to intensify action against illegal arms holders and manufacturers across the upazila.
