Law enforcers asked to watch borders, check infiltration
Alarmed by the rising trend of drug trafficking in the country, the home ministry yesterday asked the law enforcement agencies to strictly watch the borders and check infiltration of both drugs and the accompanying explosives.
The instruction issued after the 43rd National Committee to Combat Smuggling revealed that 38 kilograms of heroin and 49,000 bottles of Phensidyl have been seized in only four months between mid-April and mid-July in Rajshahi region.
“Keep eyes on the borders so that the deadly drugs cannot enter the country,” Home Adviser MA Matin directed the law enforcers at the ministry.
He said explosives and explosive substances also accompany the illicit drugs, adding, “It is, thus, very important to check drug smuggling in the country.”
Sources said huge contingent of drugs, including heroin, Yaba tablet and Phensidyl are entering the country through the land and sea routes. A small amount of those are being seized by different agencies.
They said drugs are being smuggled in for both local use and trafficking to a third country.
Matin said the meeting discussed about the framing of a summary court to quickly dispose of the growing number of pending smuggling cases.
“Some 22,000 cases are presently pending which is a big number,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Home and shipping secretaries, divisional commissioners, National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman and director generals of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), Bangladesh Navy and Coastguard attended the meeting.
Matin said the process to install a scanner at the Chittagong Port is at its final stage, adding, “The NBR chairman informed the meeting that they will finalise buying of a scanner in February next year which will cost Tk 105 crore.”
Setting up of scanners at all the land and seaports have become necessary to check trafficking of illicit drugs, arms and explosives hidden inside both the incoming and outgoing goods.
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