Huge arms, ammo seized from Habiganj forest:Daily Sun

RAB shows a cache of arms and ammunition recovered from Satchhari reserve forest in Chunarughat upazila under Habiganj during a drive from Friday to Tuesday. banglar chokh Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members recovered another cache of huge arms and ammunition from Satchhari reserve forest that straddles Indo-Bangla border in Chunarughat upazila under Habiganj from Friday to Tuesday. But the lawme
n signally failed to arrest anyone in this connection. This was the third biggest haul of arms from the forest, some 130 kilometres off the capital, bordering Tripura state of neighbouring India. Earlier on June 3 and 9, a huge haul of arms, rocket shells, rocket launchers and bullets were recovered from the hot spot. On Tuesday, the seized weapons were presented before journalists at Srimangal RAB-9 camp office. Cdr Mufti Mahmud Khan, RAB director (legal and media wing), said, “Acting on a tip-off, RAB personnel conducted a drive in the forest from Friday to Tuesday and found two abandoned containers from two holes there.” “We recovered nine SMGs, one SMC, one beta gun, one auto gun, one sniper telescope sight, two LMGs, six SLRs and 2400 rounds of munitions from two containers.” “None was arrested in this connection as we found those firearms in an abandoned condition,” Mahmud said, adding that their drive will continue. About the source of the arms, the RAB director said, “We are investigating the matter.” “RAB personnel have so far recovered 11,000 arms and around 1 lakh rounds of ammunition from the country,” he went on saying. Satchhari forest was once known as a den of All Tripura Tiger Forces (ATTF). However, the rebel group does not have much activity there now. Various sources said Ulfa and ATTF used to bring arms and ammunition through Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar and hid those in their Satchhari den. On June 3, RAB recovered 184 rocket shells (40mm) and 153 chargers abandoned in several bunkers at the hillock of the forest. On June 9, they recovered 633 rounds of 7.62mm bullets, 54 rounds of 12.54mm bullets, 37-inch barrel of a machinegun from the spot. RAB discovered 7 bunkers during the drive from June 1 to June 19. The bunkers were located 10-15 feet under the forest ground. On June 27, 2003, lawmen recovered a stash of bullets from a truck in the northern district of Bogra which was believed to be trafficked by Asish Burman, nephew of Jogesh Burman, a former headman of Satchhari Tripura Palli. Asish has been absconding since then.