In a nationwide crackdown titled 'Operation Devil Hunt,' law enforcement authorities have arrested 1,521 individuals in the past 24 hours, according to Assistant Inspector General (Media and PR) Enamul Haque Sagar.
Speaking at a briefing on Monday evening, AIG Enamul detailed the outcomes of the operation. Of the total arrests, 343 were directly linked to "Operation Devil Hunt," while 1,178 individuals were apprehended under other criminal cases and outstanding warrants.
The operation has also led to the recovery of a significant cache of illegal weapons and items, including a foreign pistol, two magazines, 11 rounds of ammunition, six shotgun cartridges, three knives, three swords, an axe, 10 handmade bombs, eight sticks, four iron rods, and four machetes.
Former state minister of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Dipankar Talukdar was one of the arrestees. Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested him from the city's Sobahanbagh.
Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury affirmed the operation's determination to cleanse society of criminal elements.
"The ongoing 'Operation Devil Hunt' will continue until society is freed from devils. No kingpin or their cohorts will be spared. On the first day of the operation, five law enforcement officials were brought to justice. Whether big or small, all listed criminals and wrongdoers will be netted," Chowdhury stated during a press interaction.
