Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Mainul Islam on Wednesday said the ongoing joint operation to recover illegal firearms has already produced good results and expected that more will be recovered as the drives progress.
He said the police are currently conducting operations to confiscate three categories of firearms: those that were stolen or lost from the police, SSF, and other security forces; firearms with suspended licences and illegal firearms.
"We have already recovered many arms, many have abandoned [illegal firearms]… we are expecting that the drives would produce the expected results." He told journalists at the secretariat about the operation that started on Tuesday midnight.
Referring to the firearms, sold during the last 15 years, he said that the licence of those arms and ammunition had been suspended and the owners of those were instructed to submit those to local police stations. "We gave a deadline to submit those on September 3. Those firearms which are not submitted are now illegal," he said.
Asked about taking actions against people involved with crimes and corruption during the drive, IGP said the drives have brought results in that regard too. "We have arrested two former police chiefs and even serving police officers. The process will continue.
