Buoyed by Tk 300 crore Asian Development Bank assistance, the home ministry initiated a move two years back to buy four scanners for Chittagong, Benapole and other ports but officials concerned could not even ascertain specifications for the machines as yet.

Frustrated at the slow progress, the National Committee on Smuggling Prevention yesterday decided to request the finance and shipping ministries to take initiatives to buy the scanners.

"Through random manual checking, it is not possible to know what goods are actually coming in. So, how one can take step to effectively stop tax evasion as well as smuggling of firearms and explosives into the country," a source told reporters after the meeting.

State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, chairing the meeting, asked law enforcers to strengthen vigilance to stop the firearms smuggling. "There is a tendency to smuggle in firearms and explosives before the election," he told reporters.

The meeting was told that gangs are also smuggling in motor parts, assembling vehicles and using old registration numbers to run those.

The meeting also discussed a new way of smuggling in goods through secret boxes in truck and buses. A committee was also formed to find out ways for quick disposal of cases filed against smugglers.

The meeting also ordered the divisional commissioners and law enforcing agencies to take immediate steps to stop smuggling out of birth control pills and other medicines to Myanmar.

"Since Myanmar cannot produce quality pharmaceutical items due to an international sanction, Bangladeshi medicine are being smuggled out," a meeting source said.

Meanwhile, Babar said he received list of godfathers of smugglers and hundi traders that was prepared by the law enforcers. "We're examining the list. But there are only names and addresses of some people. I have asked them to provide profiles, photographs and cases against them."