Acting on precise intelligence, a specialized team from Chokoria Police Station navigated difficult, marshy terrain on foot for nearly two kilometres to reach a remote residence in West Chhonuapara within the Badarkhali Union on Sunday night. Officers surrounded the premises, cutting off escape routes before moving in to detain five suspects attempting to flee the scene. A follow-up raid based on statements obtained from the initial detainees led to the arrest of a sixth suspect in nearby Halkachhapara.

Those taken into custody have been identified as Rajib, 26 (known locally as ‘Shooter Rajib’); Nomi Uddin, 40; Jasim Uddin, 26; Mohammad Sagar Rana, 20 (‘Shooter Sagar’); Johura Begum, 45; and Shohor Banu, 55.

Details of the seizure were disclosed during a press briefing held on Monday afternoon at the Chokoria Police Station auditorium. Assistant Superintendent of Police (Chokoria Circle) Mohammad Abdul Aziz outlined the scale of the recovery, noting that the initial search of the West Chhonuapara home uncovered a double-barrelled rifle, a single-barrelled rifle, a shotgun, 58 rifle rounds, 55 pistol rounds, two live shotgun cartridges, spent shells, weapon cleaning rods, and various tools used for firearm fabrication. Six mobile phones were also confiscated for forensic analysis.

The most substantial recovery came during the secondary raid in Halkachhapara. Investigating officers searched the property of Shohor Banu, eventually retrieving a submerged plastic sack from a pond behind her dwelling. Inside, authorities discovered an additional 767 rounds of live rifle ammunition.

Police officials stated that the syndicate operated a multi-layered criminal enterprise. Beyond conducting highway robberies and inter-district raids across the coastal belt, the group allegedly manufactured, bought, and sold weaponry while renting firearms to other criminal factions operating in the dense mangrove forests and riverine channels of Cox’s Bazar.

The region’s topography has long presented security challenges for law enforcement. Remote coastal settlements and extensive canal networks provide tactical advantages to armed groups, making law enforcement operations particularly complex. The establishment of the Matamuhuri Upazila aims in part to decentralize administration and intensify security presence in these vulnerable pockets.

Officer-in-Charge of Chokoria Police Station, Mohammad Arifur Rahman, confirmed that proceedings are underway to file separate cases against the accused under the Arms Act and for preparing to commit robbery. Law enforcement agencies have identified several additional accomplices based on preliminary interrogations and are executing further operations across the district to apprehend the remaining suspects.