Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) has busted a narcotics manufacturing laboratory, believed to be a crystal meth (crystal methamphetamine) lab during a raid in Dhaka.
The raid was conducted at the basement of a six-storey building in Jigatola area in the early hours of Wednesday.
Briefed the media on the raid later in the day, DNC Director General Jamal Uddin said: “Drug dealer Rakib Uddin, arrested from Mohammadpur area was in possession of “Ice” (street name for crystal meth) pills. The lab was busted based on information he provided.”
At the time, “MDMA” (Methyl-enedioxy-methamphetamine), commonly known as “Ecstasy,” were also seized from there. Ecstasy is a psychoactive drug primarily used as a recreational drug.
This is the first time in Bangladesh that such drugs were recovered, said Jamal.
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DNC Assistant Director Khorshed Alam also said that they seized huge amount of chemicals used to manufacture crystal meth and ecstasy from that lab.
However, they could not arrest the lab owner, who was identified as Hasib Mohammad Rashid, 32.
A DNC official said the lab was busted following a two month investigation. Hasib, who ran the lab, used to study in Malaysia. His family had put him into rehab for drug abuse.
The building’s caretaker, Jahangir Alam, 59, was also detained for interrogation.
On Tuesday, the DNC had arrested Rakib, 45, Md Jakariya, 30, and Helal Hossain Saddam, 25, from Mohammadpur.
The team had recovered five grams of high stimulant drug “Ice” and 160 pieces of yaba pills from their possession at the time, Khorshed said.
What is ice?
According to the Melbourne-based Alcohol and Drug Foundation, crystal methamphetamine, also known as “Ice” is a stimulant drug which speeds up the neural transmission between the brain and the body.
It is stronger, more addictive and therefore has more harmful side effects than the powder form of methamphetamine known as “speed.”
“Ice” usually comes as small chunky clear crystals that look like ice. It can also come as white or brownish crystal-like powder with a strong smell and bitter taste.
“Ice” is also known as: crystal meth, shabu, crystal, glass, and shard.