The two arrestees in the much-talked-about liquid cocaine seizure case yesterday confessed that they knew about the consignment sent by London expatriates Bakul Mia and Fazlur.
The duo said in their confessional statements they along with some others were involved in the dispatching the consignment from Chittagong port, sources in the court said.
The Metropolitan Magistrate Farid Alam recorded the statements of accused Golam Mostafa Sohel, manager of the Prime Hatchery which is a sister concern of alleged importer Khan Jahan Ali Limited, and his cousin Mehedi Alam, official of a securities company.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Kazi Muttaki Ibn Minan said the two accused were produced before the magistrate around 3:00pm.
“After completing the recording of the confessional statements, the two were sent to Chittagong Central Jail,” he said.
Sohel previously in police interrogation confessed that he used the pad of his firm to bring the consignment while the entire proceedings were operated by some expatriate people.
The link of a Bangladesh-origin UK citizen, Bakul Mia, was found with the smuggling from Uruguay. The consignment was on its way to Europe or North America; otherwise, it was supposed to be re-exported to India’s Kolkata.
Earlier, Sohel was placed on a 15-day remand while Mehedi on a 10-day remand in different phases in the sensitive case over the seizure of liquid cocaine consignment in guise of sunflower oil from Chittagong Port in June.
Apart from the two, the consignment’s C&F Agent Saiful Islam Sumon was placed on a 10-day remand and COSCO Shipping Agency’s Manager AKM Azad, Mondol Group’s Commercial Executive Atiqur Rahaman and a real estate company official Mostafa Kamal on a 15-day remand each in different phases.
A total of six persons have so far been arrested in the sensitive case. However, alleged importer of the consignment Nur Mohammad, chairman of Khan Jahan Ali Limited, is on the run.
On June 6, Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation on police information sealed the container in Chittagong Port which was suspected to bring 2,140 kg of liquid cocaine.