Dhaka Metropolitan Police in coordination with two executive magistrates convicted 641 persons in 631 drug cases filed with different police stations in the capital in the last two months.
The team during its special anti-narcotics drives that started from February, recovered 50,000 pieces of Yaba, 5,000 bottles of Phensedyl, 1kg heroin and 175kg cannabis.
The revelation came at a press briefing held yesterday at the DMP Media and Community Centre.
Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of Detective Branch of police, claimed that the drug dealing in the capital came under control because of massive raid by the law enforcers.
“We have taken such special operation as drug is the mother of all crimes.”
A drug abuser resorts to theft, robbery and even killing in order to get money, said Monirul.
“At the beginning of the drive, we convicted 197 people in 194 cases in February, 406 in 399 in March and 38 in 38 cases in the first two days of April,” added the police official.
Of the convicts, 153 were awarded two-year imprisonments, 412 six months imprisonments and 76 less than six months, he said.
Monirul Islam added that police were operating drives in full swing to arrest the drug dealers rather than drug addicts. It was the only means to checking drug abuse, he said, claiming that no drug was manufactured in the capital, rather it was shipped to the metropolitan city from the border areas.
The drugs were mostly imported from Cox’ Bazar, Satkhira, Jessore, Jhenaidah, Meherpur, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Kurigram, B’Baria, Comilla and Feni districts, Monirul said.
In reply to a question, the joint commissioner said if other law enforcement agencies including officials of the Department of Narcotics Control stepped up their vigilance in line with police force, drug suppliers would not be able to push drugs into the country as well as the capital.
Shahabuddin Khan, joint commissioner (crime and operation), Krishna Pada Roy, deputy commissioner of DB police, and Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media and publication) of DMP were, among others, present at the press briefing.