4 UPDF men held with weapons in Khagrachhari

Four armed activists of United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), Prasit faction, have been detained with weapons in an operation in Khagrachhari, Chattogram Hill Tracts.

An army source confirmed that they were detained from Banchhara Fresh Bazar area of ​​Dighinala upazila in the early hours of Tuesday.

The detainees are Prottoy Chakma alias Dr Preeti, 45, Bidhu Bhushan Chakma alias Anik, 48, Purna Jibon Chakma alias Diganta, 50, and Samar Bikas Chakma alias Bhala, 42. They were all identified as local activists of the UPDF led by Prasit Bikash Khisa. They confessed to being involved in extortion during preliminary interrogation.

Two foreign pistols, three magazines, 40 rounds of ammunition, 10 mobile phones, four receipt books, Tk5 lakh 74 thousand collected through extortion and some documents of their party were recovered from them.

An army patrol team led by Major Shamin Sikder Ratul of Dighinala Zone conducted the operation in Banchhara Fresh Bazar area on the basis of secret intelligence information that UPDF activists were organising and distributing extortion money.

The detainees and all the recovered weapons were handed over to Dighinala police station.

Dighinala Police Station duty officer ASI Zahid Hossain told The Business Standard on Wednesday morning, "The process of sending the four UPDF activists to court is underway."