DHAKA, April 20, 2026(BSS) - Police and Coast Guard in separate drives in Panchagarh, Bhola districts arrested 12 dacoits along with locally-made weapons and a microbus, police officials said today. Panchagarh Police have arrested 10 members of an inter-district robbery gang during a special drive. Several locally made weapons and a microbus used by the group were also seized. The arrests were made early today during a joint drive conducted by local police and the Detective Branch (DB) of police based on confidential information. However, the identities of the detained individuals have not yet been disclosed as the investigation is going on. According to police sources, the gang had come to Panchagarh from another district with an intention of committing robbery in a microbus. Acting on a tip-off, police set up checkpoints and carried out operations in different parts of the town throughout the night. Initially, two suspects were arrested along with the microbus from in front of Panchagarh Modern Sadar Hospital. Based on the information obtained from them, the remaining eight suspects were later detained from Satmero Union. Authorities also recovered locally made weapons believed to have been used for robberies. Officer-in-Charge of Panchagarh Sadar Thana Ashraful Islam said that the drive was conducted based on secret information. He added that police are interrogating the suspects to identify the other members of the gang and to determine where they had previously carried out the robberies. Meanwhile, two other robbers were arrested with arms and ammunition in Bhola. A team of the Coast Guard South Zone has arrested two notorious robbers along with arms and ammunition in Bhola. In a press release issued by Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon confirmed the matter. According to the statement, based on confidential information, a group of robbers was preparing to carry out a robbery with locally made weapons in the Char Naziramatpur area under Daulatkhan upazla. Acting on the tip-off, the Coast Guard Base Bhola conducted a special drive in the area after midnight of today. During the operation, the coast guard personnel recovered one locally made firearm, three rounds of live ammunition, one blank cartridge and two sharp weapons. Two robbers were arrested from the scene. The detainees were identified as Md. Jasim Howlader (45) and Mohammad Jasim Uddin (50), both are the residents of Daulatkhan of Bhola district. Legal proceedings against the arrested individuals are currently underway and the seized arms and ammunition have been taken into custody. The Coast Guard and police official added that such operations will continue in the future to maintain law and order in the country.

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 20, 2026 (BSS) - Police recovered 14,500 yaba pills concealed inside a gas cylinder of a pickup truck in the Karnaphuli area of the city early today. The driver of the pickup, Md Shawkat Ali, 37, was arrested in connection with the incident. Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolitan Detective Branch (West) Md Mahbub Alam Khan confirmed the matter, saying the arrest was made during a raid conducted around 7:00 am near Yunus Market in the Shikalbaha area under Karnaphuli Police Station. Acting on a tip-off that a consignment of yaba pills was being transported to Chattogram from Cox's Bazar, police intercepted a pickup truck and conducted a search. During the search, law enforcers found the yaba pills hidden inside an empty gas cylinder in the vehicle. According to officials of the Metropolitan Detective Branch, the arrested driver admitted to carrying the drugs in the cylinder, leading to the recovery. The pickup truck used for transporting the drugs and the gas cylinder were seized. A case has been filed under the Narcotics Control Act with Karnaphuli Police Station in this connection.  Police said efforts are underway to identify and arrest other members of the gang involved.