Local people thrashed six members of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) suspecting them as ‘extortionists’ during a drive at Zafarganj in Debidwar Upazila of Cumilla district on Wednesday. A video of the incident went viral on social media. Police and witnesses said a six-member team of the DNC’s Cumilla office -- inspector Abu Bakar Siddique, assistant sub-inspectors Uttambaran Debnath and Abul Kashem; sepoys Shariful Islam, Mithun Chandra Robi Das and driver Rafiqul Islam -- went to Bazlu Mia’s house in the vicinity of the Gumati River in the area. They raided the house to arrest Bazlu’s son Russel Islam for his alleged involvement in drug peddling, but he was not there at home at that moment. Russel’s sister, Moyna Akhter, alleged that the DNC officials themselves kept some drug substances in their house and later claimed that her brother had brought it there as he has involvement in drug peddling. “They threatened to arrest me and my elderly mother if we don’t give them information about the whereabouts of Ruseel or Tk 20,000 in bribe. Later, I gave them Tk 6,000 and settled the matter,” she said. As local people came to know about the matter, Moyna said they halted the DNC members while they were leaving the area. At one stage, angry people started beating them suspecting them as extortionists and fake officials. Three DNC members fled the spot in the face of mass beating while the rest three were taken to the house of a local senior police official who came home receiving the death news of his brother. Being informed by the police official, Debidwar Brahmanpara circle ASP Amir Ullah and Debidwar Police Station OC Arifur Rahman visited the spot and brought the situation under control. ASP Amir Ullah said the DNC team had been to the area to conduct an anti-drug drive and recovered some drug substances from Russel’s house. He said there was a misunderstanding between local people and the DNC members as Russel’s family said there was no drug in their house. Amir said they found Tk 6,000 in the wallet of a DNC official.  “But there was more money with Tk 6,000 in the wallet.  So, it’s difficult to prove that the DNC team took that money from Russel’s family.” He said they informed the DNC high officials about the matter to take necessary steps after investigation.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out Monday whether he can be extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. to face espionage charges over the publication of secret American military documents.

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