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Published : 02 Nov 2024, 12:26 AM
The Rapid Action Battalion, or RAB, has arrested 12 people, including Bhuiyan Sohail, known as the ‘drug kingpin’ in Geneva Camp area of Dhaka's Mohammadpur.
Sohail and his associates were detained in a joint operation by RAB-2 and RAB-9 in Sylhet’s Kotwali and Habiganj’s Madhabpur areas on Thursday night.
The others arrested include Amir Hossain Hira, Jamal Hossain, Shahinoor Begum, Anwar Hossain, Mithun, Sahil, Naeem, Azim, Noor Begum, Bhanu Begum, and Shakib Hasan, all believed to be Sohail’s accomplices.
On Thursday, a clash between two drug-dealing factions led to the death of a young man named Raja in Geneva Camp. Police claim Raja was affiliated with Sohail’s drug network.
Following Sohail’s arrest, rival faction leader ‘Chua Selim’ tried to seize control of the area, sparking another confrontation.
After the Awami League government's collapse on Aug 5, firearms stolen from a police station were allegedly used in recent violence, which has claimed five lives, including Raja’s, over three months.
A statement from RAB-2 said, “Recent arrests have highlighted a network under Sohail's leadership involved in extortion, kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking, murder, and other criminal activities in Mohammadpur.
“Detectives uncovered 18 cases against Sohail for crimes such as murder, illegal arms possession, and drug offences.”
Residents of Geneva Camp recall that a few years ago, two young men, Nadeem Hossain (alias Panchhish) and Ishtiaq, controlled the camp's drug trade, amassing significant wealth and private army of goons.
Panchhish was killed in a RAB operation in 2018, while Ishtiaq reportedly fled to India and is rumoured to have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic. Their rivalry for control of the drug trade has since devolved into a violent conflict.
