DMP Arrests 488 in 24-Hour Capital-Wide Crackdown

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested 488 people and filed 55 cases during a 24-hour operation across the capital, as part of their ongoing efforts to curb crime, drugs and illegal activities.

Niaz Mehedi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division, confirmed the information to the media on Tuesday, 18 August.

The arrests were made by different police divisions and specialised units operating across Dhaka. The Mirpur division recorded the highest number of arrests, with 153 people detained. Motijheel followed with 61 arrests, while Tejgaon accounted for 59. Gulshan police arrested 49 people and Wari 47.

The remaining arrests were made by Uttara, Lalbagh and Ramna divisions, along with the Detective Branch and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit. The distribution reflects the scale of the operation across several parts of the capital.

During the raids, police also recovered a range of firearms, ammunition, narcotics and other items allegedly linked to criminal activities. Among the seized materials were two foreign-made pistols, two magazines and 12 rounds of ammunition. Police also recovered 11 kilograms of cannabis and 16,222 tablets of yaba.

Other items seized during the operation included a switchblade, two pairs of handcuffs, a toy pistol, an electric tracker, two walkie-talkies and a weighing machine. Officers also recovered 19 mobile phones and 28 SIM cards belonging to different operators. A total of Tk1,400 in cash was also seized.

Police said they rescued one victim during the operation, although no further details about the person were disclosed.

The operation covered various police station areas of Dhaka, with officers conducting raids based on information and suspected involvement in criminal activities. The recovery of firearms and ammunition, alongside a substantial quantity of narcotics, indicates that the operation targeted more than routine street-level offences.

The DMP has been conducting regular operations across the capital to address drug trafficking, illegal arms possession and other forms of organised and violent crime. Such operations also involve specialised units, including the Detective Branch and the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit, depending on the nature of the suspected offences.

According to the police, legal proceedings against those arrested are under way. The recovered weapons, drugs and other materials will form part of the relevant cases as investigators determine the circumstances surrounding their seizure and the alleged offences of those detained.

The latest figures provide an indication of the scale of law-enforcement activity in Dhaka over the 24-hour period, with arrests recorded across all major police divisions as well as specialised units.