Drugs enter through border, where major markets are located

A Toyota Land Cruiser Prado carrying 300,000 yaba tablets from Cox’s Bazar set off for Dhaka on 17 August. After stopping in Chattogram for a day, the vehicle took the Dhaka–Chattogram highway. Before reaching Dhaka, the vehicle was intercepted in Cumilla by the district Detective Branch police.

In the past five months, nearly 2.7 million yaba tablets were seized in six major incidents along various borders of Cox’s Bazar alone. Five of these consignments were destined for Dhaka. Investigation sources said the drugs were then supposed to be distributed to different parts of the country from Dhaka.

Law enforcement agencies’ data show that the largest consignments of drugs entering the country through the borders are now being transported to different parts of the country through metropolitan areas. At the same time, the country’s eight cities have emerged as major drug markets due to their large populations. The cities are Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Gazipur, Rangpur, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet.

Information from pending cases reveals how drugs spread towards major cities after entering the country through the borders. According to data from the Ministry of Law, 47,948 serious drug cases carrying a minimum sentence of five years or more are pending trial in the country’s eight metropolitan areas. A total of 166,333 such cases are pending across the country. That means nearly 29 per cent of these cases are in the eight cities.

Further analysis of these cases shows that serious drug cases are comparatively more concentrated in the areas through which drugs enter the country, as well as along important routes for transporting them within the country and in major market areas.

On 7 August, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told journalists in Cox’s Bazar that Cox’s Bazar is widely known as one of the major routes for drug smuggling, including yaba. He said yaba tablets entering through the border are being distributed across the country. As a result, a large section of the country’s youth is being ruined.

Under the supervision of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) and research organisation Research and Management Consultants Limited (RMCL) conducted a study last year. It said the number of illicit drug users in the country was around 8.195 million, accounting for 4.88 per cent of the total population, while users spent an estimated Tk 590 billion a year on drugs. Nearly 90 per cent of the users surveyed said drugs were easily available.

Sources concerned said a large portion of the drugs in the country enters through the borders. Cox’s Bazar, which shares a border with Myanmar, is one of the major routes for yaba and crystal meth, or ice, to enter the country. On 11 April this year, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 1,059,400 yaba tablets in a single operation in a border area adjacent to the Naf River. According to BGB, this was the largest yaba seizure in a single day in its history. Even after that, large consignments have been seized in Ukhia, Teknaf and Ramu areas of Cox’s Bazar.

Sources at the DNC said incidents of consignments being transported from Cox’s Bazar through Chattogram to Dhaka and surrounding areas are regularly reported after drugs enter the country. On the other hand, drugs also enter the country through various districts along the Indian border. At the final stage of this flow, markets for the sale and use of drugs are developing in major cities.

An analysis of statistics on drug cases carrying a minimum sentence of five years or more showed that among the eight cities, Dhaka city has the highest number of serious drug cases, at 21,920. This is followed by Chattogram city with 15,044 cases. The two metropolitan areas alone account for 36,964 cases, or nearly 77 per cent of the total cases in the eight cities.

Besides these, 4,121 serious narcotics cases are pending trial in Rajshahi city, 2,623 in Gazipur city, 1,218 in Rangpur city, 1,187 in Khulna city, 1,021 in Barishal city and 814 in Sylhet city.

Law enforcement officials said traffickers take advantage of several factors that make it easier to establish drug markets in major cities. There are more buyers among the large populations, transportation networks are extensive, and storing drugs in rented houses and temporary accommodations is relatively easy. In addition, drug consignments can be moved quickly from one area to another using road, river and rail connections.

The number of cases is also higher in districts along the routes from border areas to metropolitan cities than in other districts. For example, Cox’s Bazar has the third-highest number of pending serious drug cases in the country, at 12,600. After Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram is also important as a route for transporting large consignments.

On 10 April, 500,000 yaba tablets were seized in a fishing trawler arriving from the Cox’s Bazar border in Chattogram city, which has the second-highest number of drug cases carrying a minimum sentence of five years or more. Another important route is Cumilla. Drugs have to pass through Cumilla to reach Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram.

In August, a consignment of 300,000 yaba tablets being transported from Cox’s Bazar to Dhaka was seized there. Earlier, in June, another large consignment of 160,000 yaba tablets was seized in Cumilla while being transported by car. There are 10,464 serious drug cases pending trial in Cumilla.

Narayanganj is also an important connection point in this transportation network. Due to the Dhaka–Chattogram and Dhaka–Sylhet highways and waterways, Narayanganj is used to transport drugs from various areas towards the capital. There are 7,411 serious drug cases pending trial there.

On the other hand, Brahmanbaria, which borders India, has 5,927 cases, while Rajshahi district has 5,126 cases. In Dinajpur, the number is 4,148.

Hasan Maruf, director general of the DNC, told Prothom Alo that almost all drugs enter the country through various borders. In addition to the Department of Narcotics Control, law enforcement agencies also remain more active in these areas. As a result, large consignments are also seized more frequently. Therefore, the caseload in border districts is naturally higher.

Explaining why the number of cases is higher in Dhaka, Hasan Maruf said there are comparatively more floating people and educational institutions in Dhaka and other major cities. The number of drug users is also higher. Although drugs enter through the borders, Dhaka city ultimately emerges as the major market.

Sources at the DNC said that at most 20 per cent of the drugs smuggled through the country are seized. That means authorities are unable to recover 80 per cent of the drugs entering the country.

On 3 September, the government formed 22 special tribunals for 10 districts and metropolitan areas to expedite the disposal of cases punishable by a minimum sentence of five years or more. A 3 September gazette from the Ministry of Law defined the geographical jurisdictions of these tribunals.

The gazette said that within the next 60 days, ongoing drug cases punishable by a minimum prison sentence of five years or more would be transferred to the respective tribunals. The trials would continue at the tribunals from the stage at which the cases are currently pending.

According to the Ministry of Law, around 102,540 serious drug cases are pending in these areas. This means nearly 62 per cent of such drug cases will be transferred to the new tribunals.

One tribunal has been established for Dhaka district and four for different police stations in Dhaka city. One has been established for Chattogram district and three for Chattogram city. There are three tribunals in Cox’s Bazar, two each in Narayanganj and Cumilla, and two tribunals for Rajshahi district and city. One tribunal each has been established in Brahmanbaria, Bogura, Dinajpur and Jashore.

Relevant sources at the Ministry of Law said areas with a high number and prevalence of drug cases were prioritised in establishing the tribunals. In other words, cities and several border districts have also received priority in the formation of the tribunals.

Under the law, however, the trial of a drug case is not supposed to continue for years. Section 51 of the Narcotics Control Act states that a trial must be completed within 90 working days after a case is received for trial. If this is not possible for unavoidable reasons, an additional 30 working days may be taken by stating the reasons. If the trial still cannot be completed for reasonable reasons, the period may be extended by a further 15 working days as a final extension.

In other words, there is a legal deadline to complete a trial within a total of 135 working days. There is also a provision requiring the reasons for taking additional time to be communicated in writing to the Supreme Court, with a copy sent to the government. In reality, however, the situation is completely different.

For example, consider a case in Chattogram. Md Ramzan Ali was made an accused in a drug case filed in Chattogram in 2016. The case continued for nearly 10 years. It remained stuck at the stage of recording testimony for a long time because witnesses did not appear before the court. Eventually, the court acquitted him on 5 June this year. During this period, Ramzan also had to remain in jail for various lengths of time.

On the one hand, the law sets a limit of 135 working days; on the other, it took nearly 10 years to conclude one case. Court-related sources said there are delays in completing investigations and submitting charge sheets. Then, at the trial stage, another round of delays is caused by the absence of witnesses, failure of investigating officers to appear to testify, problems in presenting evidence, inadequate preparation by the prosecution and a shortage of judges. These are the reasons why simply setting a time limit in the law is not ensuring speedy trials. As a result, the drug market is growing further.

Iqbal Masud, director of the Health and Nutrition Department of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, works on the trends in the spread of drugs in the country. He told Prothom Alo that a large consumer base for drugs has developed in Dhaka and other major cities. Drugs coming through borders, including Teknaf, are reaching these cities through various routes. When restrictions are tightened at one border, traffickers change routes and use another border. Bangladesh is also sometimes being used as a transit route. He said drug control will never be possible unless this supply chain from the border to the cities can be stopped.