Narcotics Case: Trial of Papia, her husband begins

The trial of a narcotics case, filed against expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur Rahman Sumon, began at a Dhaka tribunal yesterday with deposition of the complainant.

Judge Md Amirul Islam of the Special Tribunal-8 of Dhaka recorded the statement of Md Shafiqul Islam, sub-inspector of Rab-1.

Amirul then set April 12 for cross-examination of the complainant on behalf of the couple.

In his statement, Shafique said that after getting information from a reliable source, a team led by him, along with a magistrate, conducted a drive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and arrested Papia, her husband and two of their accomplices at 12:40pm on February 22 last year when they were trying to leave the country.

"We recovered seven passports, Tk 2,12,270, fake notes worth Tk 25,600, US $11,481, 420 Sri Lankan rupees, 301 Indian rupees and two debit cards from their possessions," Shafique said.

"Later, we raided Papia's flats in the capital's Farmgate and recovered a foreign-made pistol, two magazines with 20 bullets, five bottles of foreign liquor, Tk 58,41,000 cash, and credit and debit cards of different banks," he said in his statement.

Later, two cases were filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station under the Arms and the Narcotics Control Acts, while another one with Biman Bandar Police Station under the Special Powers Act.

Apart from these, two more money laundering cases were also filed against the couple.

On September 10 last year, Rab pressed charges against the couple in the drugs case.

The tribunal framed the charges against the couple on January 12.

Earlier on October 12 last year, Papia and her husband were sentenced to 27 years imprisonment in an arms case.