A sub-inspector (SI) and his associate have been arrested with 11,600 yaba pills and Tk525,000 in cash from Dhaka.
Atikul Islam, 45, who is stationed as an SI in the Bandarban district court, and his associate Rejaur Rob, 42, were arrested from Mohammadpur’s Shahjahan Road area in the capital on Monday evening.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Senior Assistant Commissioner (Mohammadpur zone) Rawshanul Haque Soikot confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
He said: “We had information that a consignment of yaba pills will arrive in Mohammadpur on Monday. We had set up check-posts in the area.
“Later, we stopped a pickup van and found 11,600 yaba pills and recovered Tk525,000 in cash from Atikul and Rob’s possession.”
Contacted, Mohammadpur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Latif said: “The detained police SI Atikul is from Panchagarh’s Tetulia upazila, whereas Rob lives in Dhaka.”
Police officials suspect that the duo has been smuggling yaba pills from Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, to Dhaka for quite some time.
“A case has been filed against them in this regard under the Narcotics Control Act. The suspects were sent to court. We sought for a seven-day remand for each of them. The court however granted a two-day remand for each,” the OC added.
Meanwhile, Bandarban District Superintendent of Police (SP) Zerin Akter told Dhaka Tribune that Atikiul went on casual leave on March 23, and since then he has been absent from his duties.
“I even received reports of him being missing from his workplace at the Bandarban district court,” she added.
When asked about Atikul’s arrest, the SP said that she has heard about the matter but is yet to receive any official documentation.
“However, when I do get officially notified, necessary steps will be taken against Atikul as per the law,” she said.
