Arms smuggling increases

The smugglers maintain relations with outlawed parties for their safe arms trading in the areas, sources close to them told this correspondent.

The firearms smuggled in consignments of fruits, egg, rice, vegetables and other items are supplied to different areas inside the country.

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Many of these illegal arms ultimately fall in the hands of teenagers, which is the main cause of deterioration in law and order and acts of crime including killings.

The arms which are being smuggled into Bangladesh through the borders of India The smuggled arms include eight-shooter gun, sawn-off rifle, sub-machine gun, light machinegun, pistol, pipe gun and revolver. These are mostly made in China, USA, Czech Republic and India.

The smugglers sell a sub-machine gun at between Tk 50,000 and Tk one lakh, a light machine gun at Tk 60,000 to one lakha and a foreign pistol at Tk 25,000-50,000. Indian pistols are available at Tk 0,000.

In Kushtia there are seven smuggling points. These are Chilmari, Ramkrishnapur, Mohammadpur, Thotarpara, Jamalpur, Bilgathua, and Vagjote.

The smugglers both from Bangladesh and India 'manage' border guards of both the countries.

An official sources said that most of the 1,939 illegal firearms surrendered by criminals in Khulna division during the immediate past Awami league government in response to the general amnesty were made in India.

Criminals prefer Indian arms because those are chap and easy to use.