CMP reports 162 new cases, 494 arrests in 15 days of October

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) have intensified operations, resulting in significant arrests and the recovery of looted items, including arms and ammunition. 

Between 1 and 15 October, CMP officials reported the filing of 162 cases and the arrest of 494 suspects across 16 police stations.

At a press conference today (16 October), Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Kazi Mohammad Tarek Aziz highlighted the CMP's return to full operational capacity.

"Our morale was initially broken, but we have resumed operations at double speed. All 16 police stations, traffic units, and intelligence divisions are now fully functional," he said.

During the first 15 days of October, the CMP registered 162 cases, including 11 in the last 24 hours. Police executed 336 warrants and apprehended 292 fugitives, with 33 suspects arrested in the past day.

Several successful operations were reported. One involved the arrest of notorious drug trafficker Monir Hossain, who was apprehended based on complaints from citizens during the weekly "Open House Day." 

He was found with Yaba tablets, leading to the arrest of another individual linked to the case.

In a separate operation, police from Bayezid Bostami station arrested a robbery suspect within four hours of the incident and rescued businessman Rafiqul Haque, who had been kidnapped by six men. 

CMP officers also arrested suspects involved in looting police stations during the unrest, with four individuals apprehended in the past 24 hours.

Aziz noted that the driver responsible for a fatal hit-and-run incident on 13 October, where a bus ran over a rickshaw puller, was identified and arrested. Additionally, four individuals preparing for a robbery in the Pahartali area were arrested with weapons seized.

The CMP has made progress in recovering weapons stolen on 5 August, having recovered 782 of the 948 looted firearms, including seven in the past 15 days. Drug-related operations have also intensified, resulting in the seizure of 19,000 Yaba tablets and 58 kilograms of cannabis.

The CMP's traffic department has also resumed full operations, showing significant activity over the past month. "The traffic division acted quickly after the unrest, and they've been operating at full capacity," Aziz said. 

A total of 2,879 cases were registered, resulting in the collection of fines amounting to Tk 89.8 lakh. Additionally, police seized 1,894 battery-operated rickshaws, 730 unauthorised CNG auto-rickshaws, and 1,798 unregistered vehicles.

The city's Detective Branch has also been actively pursuing illegal weapons. Over the last 20 days, they recovered five unlicensed firearms, with operations continuing. Aziz assured the public of the department's quick response capabilities, noting that CMP units, including the emergency 999 service, are functioning efficiently.

Community policing efforts are also being reorganised. "We are working on forming a new community policing committee to replace the previous one, which was controversial. This new initiative aims to reduce the gap between the police and the community," Aziz explained.

To improve on-the-ground presence, CMP has increased patrols. "We have three to four patrol teams operating in every police station. We have also introduced motorcycle patrols, with two motorcycles assigned to each team. This allows us to patrol narrow alleys that are inaccessible to cars," said Aziz. 

He noted that all police stations affected by arson during the riots are now operational again.

CMP officials expressed optimism about the future, vowing to continue efforts to maintain public safety and restore normalcy throughout the city.