8 charged with cocaine smuggling

Detectives submitted a charge sheet accusing eight people in the case filed in connection with the seizure of liquid cocaine found in a container carrying sunflower oil in Chittagong Port.

The accused are: Golam Mostafa Sohel, a manager of Prime Hatchery, a sister concern of Khatunganj-based firm Khan Jahan Ali Ltd, and his cousin Mehedi Alam, an official of a security company, Mostafa Kamal, a consultant of a foreign company, AK Azad, manager Cosco Shipping Agency, Atiqur Rahman, commercial executive of Mondol Group, and Saiful Islam, an official of a C&F firm.

Of the accused, Saiful was released on bail on November 18. Except two accused expatriates -- Md Fazlu and Bakul Miyan -- living in the UK, the rest are now in jail, said police sources.

The expatriates were shown fugitives in the charge sheet, said court sources. They said Assistant Commissioner Md Kamruzzaman of Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, also the investigation officer of the case, placed the charge sheet before a Chittagong court yesterday afternoon.

The Court of Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate would hear on the charge sheet on November 22, said Additional Deputy Commissioner (prosecution) Kazi Muttaki Ibne Minan.  

The name of Khan Jahan Ali Ltd's proprietor Nur Mohammad was dropped from the charge sheet even though he was accused in the first information report, said court sources.

The container with 107 barrels of sunflower oil arrived at Chittagong Port on May 8 from Bolivia via Uruguay.

On information, Customs Intelligence officials sealed off the container on June 6 and it was opened in presence of officials of different agencies on June 8.

Later, samples from each of the 107 barrels of sunflower oil were sent for tests in two laboratories in Dhaka where liquid cocaine was found in one of the barrels.

On June 27, police filed the case with Bandar Police Station.