The Chittagong Metro-politan Police (CMP) yesterday (Saturday) formed a 10-member probe committee to interrogate the four persons arrested for alleged involvement in the liquid cocaine seizure incident at Chittagong Port.
The four are Golam Mostafa Sohel, manager of Khan Jahan Ali, Atikur Rahman, business executive of Mandal Group, a firm of readymade garment exporters, AK Azad, director of corporate, sales and marketing of Bangladesh Shipping Lines Limited, and Mostafa Kamal, an official of a private developer company.
Debdas Bhattacharya, Additional Commissioner (crime and operations), CMP, told The Independent that the probe body was headed by Kushum Dewan, Deputy Commissioner, Detective Branch (DB) of police. The other members are SM Tanvir Arafat, Additional Deputy Commissioner (DB) of the CMP, five Assistant Commissioners, Nirmalendu Bikash Chakrabarty, Jahangir Alam, Kamruzzaman, Mainuddin and Foyjul Islam, and three inspectors of police.
According to Kusum Dewan, the probe body will interrogate the four and investigate whether they were working for any international smuggling syndicate. “We may seek the help of Interpol and Scotland Yard if connection is found with any international smuggling group,” added Dewan.
Informed by Interpol on June 6 that cocaine was being imported from Bolivia in a container, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, in the presence of Chittagong Metropolitan Police officers and Chittagong Port Authority officials, sealed the container and 107 drums of edible oil.
On June 8, the container was opened and the edible oil examined by officials of Department of Narcotics Control, who did not find the existence of cocaine in their field-level test. So, samples of the edible oil were sent to Dhaka for further test.
On June 27, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate said cocaine was found in a drum weighing 185 kg.