Police, customs lock horns over custody

Police yesterday could not seize the cocaine haul sealed off early last month at Chittagong Port as customs officials opposed the move citing legal provisions.

Md Kamruzzaman, assistant commissioner of the Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, went to the port to seize all 107 barrels of the consignment and collect a 200 millilitre sample from each of them, following a court order.

Kamruzzaman is the investigation officer of the cocaine haul case filed on June 27, the day laboratory tests confirmed the presence of liquid cocaine in one of the barrels shipped in as sunflower oil.

On Sunday, Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Md Farid Alam asked the investigation officer to make a seizure list and collect samples from the consignment, said the investigator.

Additional Director General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate in Chittagong Hossain Ahmed said they had full respect to the court order but police could not seize the consignment as per the customs act.

Section 169 of the customs act says any things seized on the ground that they are liable to confiscation under the act need to be deposited in the nearby customs godown, he said.

Police, however, can collect samples, he said.

The customs officials yesterday filed an appeal with Chittagong Additional Metropolitan Magistrate's court against "seizure" of the consignment by police.

The court is set to hear it today.

Meanwhile, Investigation Officer Kamruzzaman sent a letter to the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate yesterday, saying police could not seize the consignment due to non-cooperation from a "party".