Cumilla police detain 624 in overnight teen-gang crackdown

Cumilla district police have detained 624 people in a coordinated overnight operation against teen gangs, street offenders and emerging criminal groups, a sweeping response to public outrage over the killing of 13-year-old schoolboy Ishayat Shahriar Opratim.

The drive, carried out across all 18 police stations from Wednesday evening until 1:30 am, saw senior officers supervise raids at several gathering spots and crime-prone areas throughout the district. Police are now verifying the identities and backgrounds of those detained, and officials stated that only individuals against whom specific evidence is found will be sent to court. However, some families claimed that their children were apprehended while returning from private tutoring or socialising and had no involvement in criminal activity. Furthermore, overcrowding at several police stations caused temporary disorder, including an incident at Daudkandi Police Station in which some detainees attempted to break out before order was restored.

The crackdown follows the recovery of Opratim's body from an isolated area of Lalmai Hill after he went missing on September 18. Consequently, police have arrested four people in connection with the killing, including the alleged ringleader, 19-year-old Saiful Islam Tuhin. Moreover, authorities said that more than 250 alleged teen-gang members have been arrested since the current superintendent assumed office last year.

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Nevertheless, some of those arrested reportedly resumed criminal activities after securing bail, which has underscored the limits of arrests alone. In response, the district police have pledged intensified surveillance and a zero-tolerance approach towards teen gangs and public disorder.