Amphetamine Smuggling: Bangladesh being used as a route

A transnational syndicate is allegedly using Bangladesh as a route to smuggle amphetamine powder to other countries after smuggling it into the country from neighbouring India.

It is using Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) and international courier services to get the powder out of the country.

The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) came up with the findings while investigating a case filed after the recovery of 12.32kg of amphetamine powder from the cargo village area of HSIA last month.

To detect such smuggling consignments and increase vigilance, the DNC is now planning to deploy a dog squad at the airport.

The DNC also instructed international delivery service providers to install scanning machines at their offices so that no one can send such illegal goods through them.

Bangladesh banned the import of amphetamine and its use for production of medicine for cold in February 2017 after it was found that the chemical was largely used for yaba production.

Muhammed Ahsanul Jabber, director general of the DNC, shared the findings with journalists at a press briefing at its headquarters in the capital's Segunbagicha.

He said they already talked to the authorities of a delivery service company and they told them that a scanner had been installed at its office.

"We will visit the office soon to check the activities of the scanner. Other delivery service companies must install scanners or else they will be held responsible," he said in reply to a query.

On September 9, the customs authorities conducted a drive in the export cargo village and seized the 12.32kg of amphetamine powder packed in a consignment of clothes for export.

The next day, a case was filed with the Airport Police Station in this connection.

Seven people have so far been arrested for their alleged involvement in the smuggling, including the so-called "mastermind" Abul Kalam Azad alias Bunty, a chemical businessman in the capital's Mitford area.

The six others are: Rezaul Haque Bablu, Junayed Ibne Siddiqui, Nazrul Islam, Babul Mazumdar, Md Mazed and Md Bappi.

DNC DG Ahsanul said the syndicate smuggled the amphetamine powder to Bangladesh from India through the Benapole border.

In primary interrogation, Abul Kalam Azad alias Bunty said he collected the powder with the help of Indian chemical trader Habib Master, he said.

Habib's associate Rajkhan was responsible for sending the powder to Bangladesh after crossing the border illegally and later it was sent to Dhaka through different Bangladeshi delivery service companies, said the DNC official, quoting Bunty as saying.

After the powder reached Dhaka, Bunty sold it to Junayed and Nazrul through his men Din Islam and Saiful. The DNC is now looking for Din Islam and Saiful.

The seized 12.32kg amphetamine powder, worth over Tk 24 crore, was supposed to go to Australia via Malaysia. Junayed and Nazrul took the powder to an international courier service provider to send it to Australia.

Asked about taking action against the service provider, DG Ahsanul said they are still probing the incident.

He said it was not the first time a syndicate smuggled amphetamine using Bangladesh as a route.

The DNC chief, however, did not go into details in this regard.

Responding to another query, Ahsanul said they have an agreement with the Narcotics Control Bureau of India for sharing information and intelligence and they already told their Indian counterpart to take action against the smuggling.