Molla Masud held in West Bengal

A statement released on Sunday said Interpol's Delhi office informed Bangladesh police about the arrest.

It said Criminal Investigation Department of West Bengal police have arrested Masud and charged him with illegal trespass.

Masud was arrested in connection with a case under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act filed with Barrackpore Police Station in West Bengal on Feb 8 this year.
 
He had been hiding in that area north of Kolkata.
 
Masud had a 'red corner notice' from Interpol hanging over him.
 
The statement said police in Bangladesh were trying to bring the listed criminal back for trial in several cases.
 

Detectives in Bangladesh suspected Masud, wanted in at least 10 murder cases, was hiding in India. He was on a list of top criminals that Bangladesh had given to Indian authorities.

He reportedly went to India when the government announced bounties for capture of 23 top criminals, including him.

Masud, who was allegedly engaged in criminal activities at Dhaka’s Moghbazar, got the title ‘Molla’, given to some Islamic clergy, as he studied in a madrasa.

Detectives say he was member of Jamaat-e-Islami’s student front Islami Chhatra Shibir in the 90s and was believed to have been a close associate of top gangster Kala Jahangir.

According to detectives, Masud began his mobster life by killing one ‘Murad’ following a feud in his group over a shop.

He was also named in a case over the murder of another criminal ‘Murgi’ Milon.

In 1997, top criminals Subrata Bain, Tanvirul Islam Joy, Touhiduzzaman Tikka, ‘Asif’, ‘John’, ‘Chanchal’ and Masud formed the notorious ‘Seven Star Group’.

Detectives said Masud was close to Bain.

They say the group controlled contracts of Dhaka City Corporation but it later fell apart due to internal squabbling. Days later, John and Asif were found murdered with three others at a home in Khilgaon.

Top criminals ‘Liakat’ and ‘Murgi’ Milon formed the ‘Five Star Group’ with ‘Raja’, ‘Opu’, ‘Anowar’, and Moshiur Rahman Kochi to counter the ‘Seven Star Group’, detectives said.

They clashed over controlling the city corporation contracts leading to several murders of Kochi’s brother ‘Azad’, ‘Murgi’ Milon, Asif, John and several others.

Several of these criminals were also killed in alleged RAB encounters. Liakat has been missing since.