Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested general secretary of Kumarkhali upazila unit Swechchhasebak League Russell Hossain Arju with arms, ammunition and counterfeit money.

Rab-6 from Jhenaidah conducted the raid.

The elite force also claimed that Russell’s accomplices fired on RAB members. However, sources close to the Swechchhasebak League leader’s family have denied the allegations.

The incident took place on Thursday (September 23) at around 8:30 pm.

Sources said Russell was campaigning in the area to be the chairman candidate at Kaya Union Parishad in the upcoming UP elections.

Major Sharif, company commander of RAB-6 Jhenaidah camp, said a team went to the area adjacent to Kaya College on the basis of secret information.

Rab picked up Russel and said they recovered a foreign made pistol, three rounds of ammunition and fake currency 50,000 in cash from Russell.

Major Sharif claimed that after the arrest of Russel, while Rab men were writing the name and address for the witness, the accomplices Russel attacked the RAB. They vandalized the RAB vehicle and hurled several cocktail bombs.

Rab men fired 4 blank shots to bring the situation under control. However, no casualties were reported in the incident. Russel was later arrested and brought to the camp.

Ziaul Islam Swapan, chairman of Kaya Union and general secretary of Kushtia District Juba League, said many criminal gangs have sprung up locally in the area. This gang is carrying on various crimes using ordinary teenagers in the area.

The Rab official said Russell had long been running a  gang group and drug syndicate in the area.

Russell’s relatives have claimed that Russell was captured in a conspiracy by a group that did not like his activities in the area.

Russell has been charged with three counts of possession of weapons, counterfeit money and attack on the Rab.

He was handed over to Kumarkhali police station, said Major Sharif.