Staff Reporter :
The scourge of illicit narcotics has once again reared its head, this time with a brazen attempt to smuggle high-value drugs into the country concealed within innocuous parcels originating from the sun-kissed shores of California, USA.
These nefarious substances, including tetrahydrocannabinol-laced kush, cannabis-infused chocolates, and cakes, have found their way into the hands of an organized syndicate, who, in turn, seek to proliferate their distribution within the elite enclaves of the capital.
In a swift and decisive operation, the Dhaka Metropolitan Office (North)
of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) apprehended three individuals in connection with this insidious plot during a raid conducted on Monday.
Acting on intelligence, authorities intercepted a parcel of seemingly benign toy boxes arriving at the foreign branch of the Bangladesh Postal Department.
Upon inspection, the contents revealed a clandestine cache of high-priced narcotics ingeniously concealed within.
The discovery unveiled six packets of tetrahydrocannabinol-laden kush, imported from America, meticulously packaged to evade detection, each weighing a staggering 300 grams.
Accompanying these were nine cannabis-infused chocolates and ten cannabis-laced cakes, all bearing the mark of their origin across the Atlantic.
Addressing the media at a press conference held at the DNC’s headquarters in Segunbagicha, Director General Mustaqeem Billah Faruqi divulged the details of the operation, shedding light on the magnitude of the seizure.
He elucidated that the drugs, worth an estimated fortune in crores of taka, had been surreptitiously transported within the innocuous facade of toy boxes, a modus operandi designed to bypass scrutiny.
Further investigations revealed the identities of the apprehended individuals: Md. Russell Mia, Ramzan Mia, and Md. Imran, alias Raj, all purportedly integral members of the clandestine syndicate orchestrating the illicit trade.
Russell Mia, initially apprehended in the Kathgara Bazar area of Ashulia, provided crucial information leading to the subsequent arrests of Ramzan Mia and Imran alias Raj from the Amtala locality.
Interrogations unearthed a web of complicity, with each individual playing a distinct role in the intricate network of drug trafficking.
Russell, the recipient of the parcel, intended to facilitate its distribution, while Ramzan served as the intermediary tasked with financial transactions. Imran, also apprehended, was implicated in the scheme, has been enlisted to aid in the reception of the illicit consignment.