Members of joint forces detained 12 people and recovered arms, explosives during a special drive in the Jungle Salimpur area of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram district early Monday.
During the operation, members of the joint forces conducted combing operation across various hills, suspected hideouts, risky settlements and other locations believed to be used by criminals.
They also seized one pistol, one locally made LG gun, four rounds of cartridges, 11 cocktail bombs, 17 sharp weapons, 19 CCTV cameras, two DVR devices, one power box and two binoculars, said Ahsan Habib Palash, Deputy Inspector General of Chattogram Range, Ahsan Habib Palash.
Officials said the equipment was apparently used by criminals to monitor the area and track the movement of law enforcement agencies.
No casualties were reported during the operation and the overall situation remained under control.
The operation was launched around 5:30am following allegations that the area had long been used as a hideout for criminals involved in terrorist activities, illegal arms storage, hill cutting and unlawful land trading.
A total of 3,183 members of different law enforcement agencies took part in the drive, including 487 members of the Bangladesh Army, 146 from district police, 800 from Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), 400 from the RRF Chattogram unit, 100 from Feni district police, 300 from hill district police units, 330 from the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), 122 from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 371 from Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
Seven executive magistrates were also deployed during the operation.
To ensure effective and safe execution of the drive in the rugged hilly terrain, the forces used three helicopters, 15 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), three dog squads from RAB and CMP, and 12 drones.
The operation was led by DIG of Chattogram Range Md Ahsan Habib Palash, while Additional DIG Md Nazimul Haque and Chattogram Superintendent of Police Mohammad Nazir Ahmed Khan supervised the drive on the ground.
Two temporary police camps have been set up in the Chinnamul and Alinagar areas of Jungle Salimpur to maintain law and order, prevent criminals from regrouping and ensure the safety of local residents.
Police said such drives will continue in the future to ensure public safety and curb criminal activities.