7 police officers back drug racket in Mugda
During the anti-drug drive of the law enforcement across the country, the names of seven police officers appeared in a DMP police report. They were reported to be backing the drug racket in Mugda, Dhaka, in exchange of pay-offs.
The police officers have been withdrawn from Mugda police station and attached at Rajarbagh Police Lines, confirmed Mugda police officer-in-charge Md Enamul Haque. According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), they were withdrawn around mid-March.
Another law enforcer Morshed Hossain, the Belabo police sub-inspector in Narsingdi, was arrested by CID (Criminal Investigation Department) police on Sunday in connection with his involvement in the yaba trade.
On the same allegations, highway range police sub-inspector Belal Hossain, Narayanganj sadar police assistant sub-inspector Suhrawardy Hossain and Narayanganj port police constable Asadur Rahman, were arrested from Rajbari last week. The Khilgaon police assistant sub-inspector Majnu Hossain was also arrested in possession of yaba on 26 April.
Cases have been filed against these five law enforcers under the narcotics control act with the police stations concerned. All except Suhrawardy and Majnu, admitting their involvement, have given statements at the court.
CID police super Molla Nazrul Islam said, it didn’t matter whether they were police or general people, they were arrested because of their involvement in drug business.
Since the law enforcers began hunting for drug suspects across the country, 19 people have been killed so far in ‘gunfights’ within six days. Both the Rapid Action Battalion and police officials claimed the deceased were either drug peddlers or accused in such cases.
7 policemen back Mugda drug business
The seven police officers arrested in connection with drug business in Mugda, are Mugda police assistant sub-inspectors Mizanur Rahman, Nurul Amin, Abdul Wadud, Md Selim Hossain, Zainul Abedin, Khaledur Rahman and Md Akhtaruzzaman. An investigation team led by the DMP joint commissioner (crime) Sheikh Nazmul Alam has been formed in this connection.
Motijheel police deputy commissioner Mohammad Anwar Hossain said, allegations have been raised against them. Investigations are being carried out and cases will be filed if evidence is found.
According to DMP investigations, the seven police officers conducted raids in the Bondhu Bakery alley of Dakkhin Manda, Mugda on 5 March night. They detained local drug peddler Swapan Mia with 40 yaba tablets. Later they took him to the local Green Model Town Balur Mathh area and took around Tk 12 thousand from him after threatening to file charges against him. They took another Tk 20,000 bribe from Swapan’s wife that night. After negotiations, they let Swapan go.
The investigations also found Wadud, Nurul Amin and Akhtaruzzaman, three among the seven law enforcers, took Tk 1000 every week from drug traders Lima Akhtar, her husband Delwar Hossain alias Dela and Salma Akhtar from Maniknagar. They took Tk 500 from a certain Niju every week too.
Mugda police inspector (operations) Syed Iftekhar Hossain said, though the drug peddlers get arrested, they are soon released on bail and resume the illegal trade within days. He added, Swapan was arrested with yaba last December, but he got bail within a few days.
A total of 24 cases were filed with the Mugda police station in last April under the narcotics control act and 28 have been arrested in this connection so far.
Prothom Alo findings show that a Swechchasebok League leader, and a number of local Awami League leaders are backing the drug business in Mugda area with the help of police.
Several locals and businessmen from Manda in Mugda said, Musa, Tuila Rubel and Saju control the yaba business of the area. They were in liaison with the seven accused police officers. They further said, a Swechchasebok League leader along with several AL ones are involved in the business. For security reasons, they declined to disclose their names.
Mugda thana AL president Shamim Al Mamun said over phone, he didn’t know anyone from the party being involved in drug business. He admitted that there was a thriving drug business in Mugda, Maniknagar and Manda. He said, police would know better about the matter and if anyone in the party was involved, the party would take strict action against them.
A Dakkhin Manda businessman, on condition of anonymity, said yaba deals took p-lace every evening at Manda, Jheelpaar and Nama area. Youths from other areas were the chief buyers. On occasion, police conducted raids in the areas just as an eyewash. The drug peddlers are pre-warned about the raids. He added, police have the list of all the local drug peddlers. It’s only a matter of their intention to arrest them or not. He said, the local people are afraid that their children may get involved in drugs in such an environment.
The Mugda police officer-in-charge Enamul Haque said, it’s true that the drug racket in Mugda is backed by political leaders. But if anyone is caught red-handed with drugs, are dealt with according to the law. Anti-drug raids are run every day in the area. About the seven police members’ involvement in drugs, he said the whole police force cannot take the blame for a few.
*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Nusrat Nowrin.