Three ‘drug dealers’ killed in ‘gunfights’

Three alleged drug peddlers were killed in “gunfights” with BGB and police in Cox’s Bazar and Mymensingh early yesterday.

In Cox’s Bazar, two Rohingya yaba smugglers were killed in a “shootout” with BGB members in Hnila union of Teknaf upazila around 4:00am, said Lt Col Foysal Hasan Khan, commanding officer of BGB-2 Battalion in Teknaf. 

The dead are Dosto Mohammad, 18, and Dil Mohammad, 17, from Maungdaw in Myanmar, said BGB. 

A BGB team on patrol in Jaliapara village found that some four to five drug peddlers were entering Bangladesh territory after crossing the Naf river by a boat, the BGB official said.

When the criminals were asked to stop, they started firing, prompting them to retaliate. 

During the “gun battle”, two yaba peddlers were hurt, while others fled, the BGB official claimed.

The two were rushed to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared them dead, the BGB official said, adding that three BGB members were hurt and they took first aid. 

The BGB claimed to have recovered 70,000 yaba tablets, a homemade firearm, two bullets, and a sharp weapon from the spot.

Pradip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station, said the BGB team informed them of the incident. Autopsies on the dead were completed. 

In Mymensingh, another suspected drug peddler was killed in a similar incident with police in Tarakanda upazila.

The dead is Abdul Karim, 45, of Nolchapra village in the upazila, said Shah Kamal Akanda, OC of Detective Branch of police in Mymensingh.

Acting on a tip-off, a DB team raided Mukamiakanda Rice Mill area when some criminals were trading drugs around 1:15am, the OC said.

Sensing the law enforcers’ presence, the criminals opened fire, triggering a “gunfight”, the OC claimed.

At one stage, Karim was hit, while others fled, the police official said.

Police took Karim to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead, the OC added.

Police claimed to have recovered a homemade gun with a bullet, and 200gm of heroin from the spot.

Assistant Sub-inspector of DB Anwar Hossain was also injured during the “gunfight” and he took primary treatment at Mymensingh Police Lines Hospital, the OC said.

Karim stood accused in 15 cases, including 13 drug-related ones, filed with Tarakanda Police Station, the police official added.

A case was lodged with Tarakanda Police Station in connection with yesterday’s incident.

Our Cox’s Bazar and Mymensingh correspondents contributed to this report.