Cops go after arms dealers' patrons

Police have begun a hunt for the patrons of arms dealers in the city after a botched illegal firearms recovery raid left a police officer, a university student and a police driver injured with gunshot wounds at Jurain on Saturday evening.
Police primarily suspected that the information of the raid might have been leaked beforehand.
"Police will arrest the arms traders and their associates soon," said an officer of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Sunday.
The drive in Jurain was part of a security operation to thwart untoward incidents in August, the month of mourning.
The injured were identified as Rahul Patwary, a Senior Assistant Commissioner of DB, Stamford University student Billal Hossain Mridul and police driver Md Selim Mia. All the injured were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 9:00pm on Saturday, police said.
Meanwhile, police on Sunday have identified an arms dealer, Muhith, a close associate of top terrorist Saiful Islam Kochi of Jurain. Muhit is a Juba League leader of the area.    
Police will file a case in connection with the incident and investigate into who leaked out the information of the raid to the suspected arms dealers.
DMCH police camp Sub-Inspector Bachchu Mia told the Daily Observer that a bullet hit Patwary on the left side of his chest, Mridul was shot in the leg and Selim received bullet wounds in his back. All the injured are out of danger.
DMP spokesperson Masudur Rahman said miscreants opened fire on the DB team that went to Jurain in the evening.
After visiting Patwary at the DMCH, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia told journalists that the police officer was out of danger.
"DB AC Rahul's team surrounded an arms dealer following a tip-off. Another dealer opened fire on them, and the miscreants fled the scene. The drive to arrest them is underway," he said. Police said Mridul was working as a source of Rahul Patwary.
Driver Selim was having tea at a local tea stall when the bullet hit him, SI Bachchu Mia said.   
A Senior DMP official said on Sunday that the team was not well prepared to conduct the raid in Jurain.  Police usually deploy more forces to recover illegal firearms, he said.