Sugar smuggling goes unabated in Sylhet

S.A. Shofiee, Sylhet :
Smuggling of Sugar has become rampant at border areas of Sylhet on Thursday morning Police seized four tonnes of sugar smuggled from India, at Madhyanagar upazila in Sunamganj and held three people in this connection.

The arrested were identified as Roni Miah, 35, of Haor Rajapur village at Paikurati union under Dharmapasha upazila, Ershad Miah, 40, of Raipur village at the same union, and Abul Hashem, 40, of Bangalbhita village at Banshikunda Uttar union under the Madhyanagar upazila.

Madhyanagar police station officer-in-charge Emran Hossain said that police conducted a drive at the Bangalbhita village under the Bangshikunda Uttar union around 5:50 am and seized 80 sacks of sugar from different places. At that time, they also arrested three people for their involvement in smuggling the sugar from India.

Each of the sack contained 50kg sugar, the police officer said, adding that a steel made boat was also seized in possession of the arrested on Thursday evening Police seized 21 sack of sugar smuggled from India, Paira area in Sylhet City and held three people in this connection.

According to local sources, new smuggling routes have been opened by different gangs of smugglers at the border with India, allegedly with the backing of local influential people.

Cows, sarees, sugar, salt, cumin (jeera), phensidyl syrup, electronics, bicycles and spare motor parts are being smuggled into the country from India in large quantities everyday.

During a recent visit to the border areas, this correspondent saw rickshaw vans being loaded openly with smuggled Indian Sugar at Jointapur upazila in the district .

At the Jointapur upazila, groups of labourers were seen carrying Indian goods on their heads and on bicycles across the border.

It was also found that a group of Indian smugglers were waiting at the border to collect their share of the profit from their Bangladeshi counterparts.

However, no one from the border security agency appeared to check the smugglers activities.

Some local people alleged that the smugglers carry their goods across the border, mostly at night, after paying bribes to a section of dishonest members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police.

The smuggled goods are stored in the houses of the smugglers overnight, and at day break, those are sent to various markets through local transport.

The smuggling gangs usually engage poverty-stricken women and children, and unemployed youths to carry the goods across the border.

Women usually carry sarees and cosmetics, while children carry salt and sugar in small quantities.

Some women and children are also used to smuggle bottles of Phensidyl and other drugs.

On the other hand, young men are engaged to carry heavy items, like bikes and motor parts, and other valuable contrabands.

BGB members and police sometimes seize consignments of smuggled goods, but that has not affect on the illegal activity.

Abdullah Al Mamun superintendent of police at Sylhet district also said police were keeping extra vigil to check smuggling.