Detectives have arrested five members of an inter-district robbery gang along with illegal firearms, ammunition, gunpowder, crude bombs and motorcycles in a special drive in Jatrabari area of the capital.

The arrestees are Md Liton Jabbar ,52, Ismail Hossain Mamun,55, Md Babul Babu 45, Ayub Bhuiyan,30 and Md Roman,35.

They were arrested on Monday from Dayaganj to Jatrabari Shahid Faruk Road area under Jatrabari Police Station.

According to DB police, tipped off, a team conducted a drive after learning that members of the inter-district robbery gang were gathering in front of Modern Bikalpo Wooden Furniture shop in the area for committing a robbery.

During the operation, police arrested them and recovered two pistols, two magazines, seven rounds of bullet, 2.2 kg of explosives, one machete and two motorcycles from their possession, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) NM Nasiruddin.

During preliminary interrogation, the arrestees reportedly confessed that they had long been collecting firearms, gunpowder and bomb-making materials from the border area of Jashore and preparing crude bombs.

They later supplied these to different criminal groups in Dhaka and used them to create panic and carry out robberies.

Nasiruddin said two separate cases have been filed with Jatrabari Police Station in this connection. Legal proceedings against the arrestees are under way.