In order to continue doing their illegal deeds by dodging the eyes of the law enforcers, drug peddlers are repetitively changing their ruses in carrying contraband drugs across the country. Drug dealers, according to several officials of different law enforcing agencies involved in anti-drug special operations, change their tactics of carrying drugs only to evade the law enforcers.
Sometimes they carry drugs inside gas cylinders, sometimes inside mango baskets and sometimes in fish fry-laden trucks, which is very unconventional for the police. Normally police do not properly check rotten fruit-laden trucks. They also do not halt any vehicles carrying combustible products like gas cylinders which are used in households for cooking purposes, unless police receive any specific information of smuggling drugs in advance.
Talking to the Bangladesh Post, RAB 1 Commanding Officer (CO) Sarwar Bin Kashem said, “On August 24, RAB received confidential information that some drug peddlers are carrying huge amounts of cannabis inside a fish-fry laden mini truck bound for Gazipur from Brahmanbaria.” Acting on the trip off, a team of RAB halted the truck at Tongi area of Gazipur City Corporation. After searching the mini truck, RAB personnel seized 30 kilograms of cannabis from the vehicle.
Police arrested Md Mainuddin, 24, son of late Moktul Hossain, and Md Shariful Islam, 24, son of Md Kamal Hossain, both are from Brahmanpara of Cumilla district. During the primary interrogation, both arrested drug peddlers admitted that they were carrying drugs inside the fish fry-laden truck only to dodge the law enforcers.
Earlier on August 21, a team of Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police received information that some drug dealers are carrying contraband Phensedyl syrup from the border district of Chapainawabganj using a mango-laden truck. A team of DB led by Md Shajahan Shaju halted the speedy truck at 300-foot area under Vatara Police Station around 5:05 pm and arrested two drug dealers.
They are identified as Md Babul, 24, son of Md Sadeq Miah, hailing from Lalmohon Upazila of Bhola district and Md Shamim, 22, son of Md Abdur Rashid, hailing from Madaripur Sadar Upazila. Their two other accomplices – Jewel alias Phony and Md Azizul Haque alias Kuti alias Kedu managed to escape. However, two other drug traders managed to escape sensing presence of DB personnel. After searching the truck, DB seized 11 plastic packets which were full of mango.
Arrested.
During their primary interrogation, the arrested drug dealers disclosed that they were smuggling Phensedyl bottles from the Indian boarder areas by using mango-laden trucks for long time. Responding to the questions of the DB officials, Babul and Shamim admitted that they were carrying drugs originating in India on mango carrying vehicles only to dodge the law enforcers.
They said usually police do not suspect any fruit carrying trucks at the cheek posts. Earlier on August 29, DB seized a large consignment of cannabis -- hidden inside gas cylinders -- from a pick-up van. Peddlers used to cut the bottom of gas cylinders, stuff bags full of cannabis inside it, seal the lids with screws, repaint them to look brand new, and put them together with actual gas-filled cylinders, Mahbubul Alam, an assistant commissioner of the DB North who led the drive, said.
He said that there were 78 gas cylinders in the van. Of them, 10 gas cylinders were filled with 55kg cannabis. According to him the drug peddlers are using different techniques to smuggle drugs into the city and nearby areas. Arrested drug peddlers said it was their third consignment. Md Golam Saklain Sithil, ADC of DB (North) said, “ It is very hard to identify the exact trucks which carry the drugs , as dozens of vehicles move in the busy highways.” It becomes a tougher task when drug peddlers carry drugs using unconventional methods, he concluded.