Police have arrested 12 people for allegedly gambling with playing cards in separate raids in Lalmohan upazila of Bhola. The detainees were sent to court on Saturday afternoon.

The arrests were made on Friday night during separate anti-drug and anti-gambling operations in Kalma and West Char Umed unions of the upazila.

According to police, acting on a tip-off, a team from Lalmohan Police Station conducted a raid in the Char Lakshmi area of Ward No. 9 in Kalma Union. Six people were arrested while they were allegedly gambling with playing cards behind the grocery shop of Aktar Sikder.

The arrested individuals were Ibrahim, 30, Zakir Hossain, 40, Shafiullah, 54, Kalu Kha, 52, Sabuj, 26, and Kabir, 31. Five of them are residents of different areas of Lalmohan, while Kabir is a resident of Tazumuddin upazila.

In a separate operation that night, police arrested another six people while they were allegedly gambling with playing cards inside Abu Sikder’s tea stall in the Pangashia area of Ward No. 5 under West Char Umed Union.

The arrested individuals were Ismail, 27, Nur Alam, 45, Billal, 36, Hossain, 25, Sabuj, 24, and Dulal, 52. All of them are residents of different areas of Lalmohan upazila.

Confirming the arrests, Lalmohan Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Nazrul Islam Majumdar said, “Separate two cases have been filed at Lalmohan Police Station against the 12 arrested individuals under the gambling law. They were sent to court on Saturday afternoon.”

He also said police operations against all forms of criminal activities, including drugs and gambling, would continue.