Arms supplier of militant outfit Jamatul Ansar arrested

Police have arrested a weapon supplier of the banned militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya.

Abdur Rahim, 32, was arrested from Gazipur's Kaliakair area on Wednesday and sent to court, according to a press release of the DMP's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit. 

Since 2019, he has led the "Rahim Dakat" group and has been carrying out terrorist activities in Ramu and Naikhongchhari areas.

During preliminary interrogation, Abdur Rahim admitted that he had hidden weapons in a drum underground in the dense forest of Naikhongchhari in Bandarban district to supply them later to Jamatul Ansar, according to police. 

Based on this information, a team of DMP's counter terrorism unit recovered firearms, bullets and other equipment from the forest. 

Rahim has 12 cases against him on charges of possessing illegal weapons, robbery, kidnapping, and destruction of forest land under Naikhongchhari and Ramu police stations.

On 23 June 2023, Shamin Mahfuz, the mastermind and head of Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, was arrested. 

After his arrest, he was interrogated about Sharqiya's training, source of weapons, and financing.

Before the arrest of Shamin, his close aide, Md Yashin, 40, and Md Kabir Ahmed, 50, an arms supplier, were arrested on 8 January 2023.

During interrogation, Shamim said Kabir Ahmed and Abdur Rahim supplied arms and ammunition in exchange for money for their military training.

Shamim formed the Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya under the guise of working with neo-Muslims in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban areas. 

While working with the neo-Muslims, he invited local arms suppliers Kabir and Rahim to supply arms to the organisation, and they agreed to do so. 

Rahim and his associates went into hiding when Shamin and arms supplier Kabir were arrested, and an operation of joint forces began in the hills.