Illegal firearms pour in thru Benapole border
UNB
Benapole: Various illegal firearms and ammunition are pouring into the country from across the border through different points here, reports UNB. Sources said there are factories in Munger town in Bihar, a neighbouring town in Bengal, India, where fake firearms are being produced following different models of arms producing countries including China, Germany and America. The illegal arms traders purchase firearms from Munger and smuggled those to Bangladesh through Benapole border.
According to a report published by Indian Bangla daily Anandabazar on November 8 last, some illegal arms trader of Munger are continuing their illegal business in Bengal and during a recent drive in Rabindranagar thana of Chobbish Pargana district, two arms producing factories were unearthed by Indian police.
Meanwhile, an illegal arms trader, Bapi Haldar, who was arrested during a drive at Baroipur of Begumpur in West Bengal, said he had been involved in the arms manufacturing in Bengal and smuggling those to Bangladesh.
Besides, a Times of India report, published on October 29, says the arms used in Gulshan terror attack on July 1, last, were supplied from a factory in Bengal.
Reports of recovery of illegal arms that have been smuggled into the country through Benapole bordering area are also abundant inside Bangladesh.
On October 30 last, a team of Sharsha Police Station arrested a young man, Ayat Ali, 24, along with one shooter gun and one bullet.
On October 31, Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested an Indian national, Khairul Mandal, along with six firearms, four one-shooter guns, 12 magazines, and 35 rounds of bullets from Gabtoli area in the capital.
Following interrogation, Khairul said he hails from Chabbish Pargana district of Bengal and had long been involved in arms trading to Bangladesh.
He said in coalition with a terrorist groups in India and Bangladesh, he bought arms from India through Putkhali, Gatipara and Sadipur bordering areas in Benapole and sold those to different criminal gangs. During a drive on September 22, Benapole Port Police arrested an employee of a clearing and forwarding (CF) agent along with four firearms and three rounds of bullets from a residential hotel. The members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in a drive on November 13 arrested Anisur Rahman of Sharsha upazila along with two firearms and three rounds of bullets. The BGB, Port Police and Sharsha Police are carrying out anti-arms drives in different parts of the Benapole area.
