Drug trafficking: Special zone in Cox's Bazar railway station in the offing
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Drug traders using railway route for strict measures on highways
The Department of Narcotics Control has sent a proposal to create Cox’s Bazar railway a special zone to prevent the transportation of Yaba and other contraband drugs by train from Cox’s Bazar.
Besides, the department will also install a modern drug detection scanner at the entrance of Cox's Bazar railway station to detect drugs in passengers and goods.
It also has been planned to conduct drug recovery drives with the help of trained dog squads.
A letter has been sent to the head office asking for necessary manpower and equipment.
Drug traders now allegedly using railway route for strict measures on highways
Officials of the agency feared that a section of the drug-trafficking gangs may pick the railway route for trading Yaba and other drugs as tough surveillance has been taken by law enforcement agencies on the road.
Md Zafrullah Kajol, the additional director of the department said that a proposal to make Cox's Bazar railway a special zone to prevent drug trafficking on Cox's Bazar-Dhaka railway route has been sent to head office.
Along with this, 32 manpower including an assistant director, a double cabin pickup, portable and modern drug detection scanner and X-ray machine for searching passengers, and a trained dog squad, have been sought for the special zone.
He also said: "We have such information that drugs are being transported in the train. A letter has been written to the railways seeking cooperation so that bags and suspicious passengers can be searched in an unhindered way.”
Recently, the department has written a letter seeking the cooperation of the railway authorities in conducting searches and raids on trains.
It has been mentioned in the letter given by the Chittagong divisional office, Cox's Bazar, the bordering district of Bangladesh, has been used as the main route for smuggling various dangerous drugs including Yaba and ice from the neighboring country Myanmar for a long time.
From Cox's Bazar, these drugs are supplied to different parts of the country by road, sea and air.
It is said that police, BGB, Narcotics Control Department and other law enforcement forces have set up 8-10 check posts on the 250-km long road from Teknaf to Chittagong to prevent drug trading.
All vehicles including regular passenger buses are being searched at these check posts.
Drug cases in two years from 2022 to 2023
Chittagong metro office, district office and intelligence office of the department arrested 3,185 drug traders in 2, 937 cases in two years from 2022 to 2023.
Out of which 969 cases were revealed at the check posts.
In all these cases, 1,033 people were arrested along with over two million pieces of Yaba, one kg of heroin, two grams of ice, 420 liters of distilled liquor, 10 gold bars.
Apart from this, one microbus, one minibus and one minitruck used for transporting drugs have been seized.
The letter also said that the Cox's Bazar-Dhaka intercity train service has been launched since December 1 last year. Currently, two intercity trains are running from Cox's Bazar to Dhaka.
Railway authorities have plans to increase more train services. Drug trafficking gangs may use this route to trade drugs to avoid strict surveillances on roads and highways.
Chittagong Metro (North) Deputy Director Humayun Kabir Khandkar of the department said: "Earlier, drugs were smuggled from Cox's Bazar to the whole country by road, sea and air. Railways have recently been added to it. Drug trading on highways has reduced a lot since the inauguration of trains on the Cox's Bazar-Dhaka route.”
“We have information that those who used to use roads earlier are now using railways. We are very concerned about this. A proposal has been sent to the department to create a special zone around the railway from Cox's Bazar to Chittagong,” said the official.