A 10-member probe committee has been formed to interrogate those arrested in connection with the Chittagong cocaine haul incident.
The probe body, headed by the Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Branch of Police (DB) Kushum Dewan, was formed on Friday night, five days after the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (CIID) formed another four-member probe body in this regard.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Debdas Bhattacharya told the Dhaka Tribune: “The new probe body will mainly interrogate the four suspects arrested in the case. The committee members may also launch fresh investigation alongside the police, if required.”
He further said the probe committee might seek help from International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and New Scotland Yard to nab the two expatriates who were said to be involved with the smuggling.
Meanwhile, the DB police of Chittagong has been on the hunt to arrest the Clearing and Forwarding Agent (C and F) Saiful Islam alias Sumon, managing partner of Sumon Trade International.
The DB men yesterday noon nabbed two staffs – Mamun and Chhoton – of the company to gather information about Saiful, DB’s Sub-Inspector Sontos Kumar Chakma said.
A DB official, seeking anonymity, said a team was on the way to Dhaka to look for Saiful who had been hiding in the capital for the last two days.
Saiful hailed from Char Hajaree under Companyganj upazila in Noakhali district. The detective branch found his office in a small rented room at Mazar Gate area of the port city’s Agrabad area, said the DB sources.
In the meantime, four people who had been arrested had been put under remand for various terms.
COSCO Shipping Agency’s Manager AKM Azad, Mondol Group’s Commercial Executive Atiqur Rahaman and a real estate company official Mostafa Kamal were in a 10-day remand while Golam Mostafa Sohel, manager of Prime Hatchery Limited, a sister concern of the alleged importer of the cocaine Khan Jahan Ali Limited, was in five-day remand.
Another accused of the case Khan Jahan Ali Group’s Chairman Nur Mohammad is on the run, police said.
On June 6, Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (CIID), on police information, sealed a container in Chittagong Port which was suspected to bring 2,140 kilogrammes of liquid cocaine.
The container was boarded on ship from Montevideo, Uruguay after being imported from Bolivia and arrived at Chittagong Port on May 13 via Singapore Port.
