Ishraf Jahan Shanta (not her real name) sent, under a false declaration, a parcel containing the replica of a 9mm Chinese pistol from Bandarban in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to Jamshed Mustafa (name changed) in Dhaka through the Continental Courier Service on December 20 last year. The item was delivered without any hitch.
On December 12 last year, Tafique (real name withheld) sent a box containing the replica of a pistol by giving false information. It was sent from Dhaka to Aminul Islam (not his real name) in Bandarban of the Chittagong Hill Tracts through S.A. Paribahan Parcel and Coach Service. The box was delivered without any hindrance.
On January 10 this year, Jamshed Mustafa, hiding his identity, sent Tk. 50,000 from Dhaka to Shahidul (not his real name) in Bandarban through S.A. Paribahan as payment for the replica of a pistol (not mentioned in the money receipt of S.A. Paribahan). This, too, was delivered without any trouble.
In fact, these parcels were sent by an intelligence agency as test cases to check the activities of courier and parcel service providers and find out whether it was possible to send smuggled arms,
drugs and other contraband goods through them.
Law enforcement and intelligence agencies fear that militant groups are using couriers to send arms, ammunition and other proscribed stuff from one place to another in the country. They suspect that with the next parliamentary election not far away, arms and ammunition are being from sent one place to another by making false declarations.
While accepting a box containing the replica of a pistol, the courier service staff had merely asked the sender about the contents, but did not scan the box as the office lacked a scanning device.
Intelligence agencies have already sent reports to the authorities concerned—especially the home ministry and the posts and telecommunications ministry—recommending action against private couriers and parcel service providers. They have also advised the authorities to make it mandatory for courier services to install scanning devices at their offices. Following the
findings, senior officers of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police have repeatedly been asking leaders of the Courier Service Association of Bangladesh (CSAB) to install scanning machines to check all the parcels to prevent the sending of arms, ammunition, drugs and other contraband goods. However, no courier services and parcel service providers have made scanners available at their offices yet.
 Sources in the home ministry say that about 500 private courier and parcel service providers are under surveillance for their suspected involvement in the shipment of arms, ammunition, drugs, including yaba, phensedyl and other banned goods.
 At a meeting of the National Smuggling Prevention Committee at the home ministry on April 20, the director general (DG) of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and a senior intelligence agency officer informed the committee members about the involvement of some private couriers and parcel service providers in this racket.
They also said that “courier service vehicles of private couriers and parcel service providers have become a safe mode of transportation for criminals to smuggle arms and drugs”. Law enforcement agencies cannot search them because of the embargo placed by the High Court.
 Hafizur Rahman Pulok, president of the CSAB, conceded that it is possible to send contraband items through private couriers or parcel services as they lack scanners to check the contents of the parcels. “We’ve asked all the registered couriers and parcel service providers to install scanning machines within three months and check parcels before despatching them. But nobody has done so yet,” he said.
 Pulok told The Independent that smugglers are sending drugs and other banned goods by giving false declarations to pass them off as ‘mango baskets’ or such harmless commodities. The law enforcement agencies have seized a few of such dubious parcels.
 “We’ve started the process of installing a scanner at our office (Sundarban Courier Service) to check parcels,” he said.
 “Out of about 500, only 200 private couriers and parcel service providers are running businesses as registered firms. The rest are operating with trade licences,” he added.
 He said courier and parcel service providers are not doing well and only five or six companies have the financial strength to procure scanners for their offices. The courier firms can only confirm the receipient’s mobile phone number and have no way to check his/her identity.
 When contacted, Asaduzzaman, general manager of SA Paribahan Parcel Service, told this correspondent that it is not possible for their staff to check all the parcels before despatching them. “Our staff check those parcels that look dubious,” he added.
 He also said that they are yet to get any instruction from the CSAB and law enforcement agencies about installation of scanning devices. Uttam Kumar Gupta, general manager of the Continental Courier Service, said law enforcement and intelligence agencies have advised them to install scanning machines to check parcels, but they are yet to purchase it.
 When asked about sending the replica of a pistol through couriers, Uttam could not give a satisfactory answer. “We accept parcels after confirming the declaration by senders,” he said. He, however, admitted that they should install scanners to check the parcels.
 Md Abdul Hannan, additional secretary (Political and ICT) of the Public Security Division of the home ministry,  told The Independent that they have been informed by the law enforcement agencies that some couriers and parcel service providers are carrying arms, drugs and contraband goods across the country.  “We’ve asked them to install scanning machines at their offices to check all parcels. “We’ll take action against the firm involved in sending arms, drugs and other contraband goods,” he added.
 Currently, the government has passed the Post Office (Amendment) Act 2010, allowing courier companies to run business legally in the country. Around five lakh people are directly and indirectly involved in the business of courier and parcel service providers.