Police have arrested 2,863 people in anti-narcotics drives across the country in the last seven days and as many as 2,053 narcotics cases were filed from July 19 to July 25.
Police headquarters AIG (media) Md Sohel Rana disclosed the information in a press release on Monday.
All the people arrested are either drug dealers or drug addicts, the release said.
In the raids from July 19 to July 25, a total of 466,072 yaba pills, 9,930 bottles of phensedyl, 2.597 kg of heroin, 2,088kg of cannabis, 1,207 litres of local liquor, and 211 bottles of foreign liquor were recovered by different units of Bangladesh Police.
Asking to remain anonymous, some officials said there has been a surge in drug smuggling and dealing recently, which is why the number of anti-narcotics drives has been beefed up. Many suspected drug dealers have been killed in ‘gunfights’ in various districts, including Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka.
According to media reports, more than 20 people have been killed in anti-narcotic raids by police, Rapid Action Battalion, and Border Guard Bangladesh, this July, with most of the deaths in Cox’s Bazar.
The press release said the ongoing anti-narcotics drives are a priority for Bangladesh Police.
