The Detective Branch of police are exploring a new lead in the case regarding the recent recovery of uranium-like substance in the city, after learning from the arrestees that the “uranium” was smuggled into the country by an official returning from a UN peacekeeping mission.
During their remand session, the arrestees reportedly disclosed information about the source of the seized material as well as describing the involvement of a middleman who sold the substance.
Seeking anonymity, a DB police official who is involved in the investigation process, told the Dhaka Tribune that during the interrogation, the suspects had told them that one of their associates – Rajon – paid Tk10 lakh to a doctor in Bogra for getting a box that contained the uranium-like substance. The transaction took place at a hotel in Bogra upon the condition that the doctor would be paid an additional Tk50 crore once the “uranium” was sold, the source at the DB police added.
Later, the box was recovered by the DB police from the house of Aslam Mia in the capital’s Banani, where Rajon had left it for safekeeping.
Earlier last week, the DB police acted on a tip-off to carry out several drives in the capital’s Dhanmondi, Uttara and Banani areas and arrest eleven members of an alleged uranium trading syndicate as well as recovering large amounts of a substance believed to uranium.
Primary investigation by the police found that the arrestees targeted rich people with promises of exponential profits through the sale of uranium. The group reportedly informed the potential buyers that the “uranium” had been brought into the country by an official returning from a UN peacekeeping mission whose “luggage was not searched at the airport” as part of special measures for the peacekeepers.
A senior DB police official said they were now focusing their investigation on identifying and locating the doctor as his arrest might unravel the mystery behind the case.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the recovered substance was sent to the laboratory of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) to verify whether the material was really uranium like the arrestees claimed it to be.
Krishna Pada Roy, deputy commissioner of the DB police, confirmed that the substance has been sent to the BAEC laboratory, and expressed hopes that the lab results – that are expected to arrive within next week – would clarify whether the recovered material was uranium.
The procedure to send the uranium-like substance to the BAEC was done as per an order of a court, he added.
Asked about the progress in the case, Krishna said they were carefully moving ahead with the case, but said the DB expected the mystery to be solved soon.
On the other hand, at the end of the four-day remand for the 11 arrested suspects, the police yesterday again took eight of the arrestees into a fresh three-day remand.
Metropolitan Magistrate Joynob Begum granted the remand plea after Rabiul Alam, investigation officer of the case and also a DB inspector, placed the arrestees before the court seeking a fresh seven-day remand. In the remand plea, Rabiul mentioned that the police needed more time for interrogation as they were getting sensational information from the suspects.
The eight accused who were put on a fresh round of remand are Moynal Hossain Sagor, Humayun Kabir, Kaiyum Chowdhury, Kayesh Ahmed, Mahfuzur Rahman Nasim, Aslam Mia, Mainuddin Sarowar Rajon, and Tofayel Ahmed Patowari.
Three arrestees – Mohammad Khaleq, Swapan Mollah, and Mohammad Firoz – whose previous round of remand ended, were sent to jail.
