Drug-peddling rackets have become increasingly active at the country’s largest land port in Benapole, taking advantage of three non-functional scanning machines due to the indifference of the authorities concerned. The recovery of Phensedyl bottles and other drugs has recently increased alarmingly at the port, exposing a fragile security measure there, sources said. Despite 375 CCTVs functioning in and around the port, vigilance by intelligence, Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Ansar and personnel of private security agency Prima, it seems that the drug peddling can’t be reined in. More alarming is the recurring issue of missing goods, attributed to the absence of adequate scanning machines, including one valued at Tk 5 crore. expensive scanner was used for scanning goods-laden trucks of Bangladesh and India.On Saturday last, Ansar members recovered 49 bottles of phensedyl after chasing some drug peddlers at gate No-5. Later, a case was filed accusing some unidentified people with Benapole port station. On July 2, 99 bottles of Phensedyl were recovered from imported Indian goods at the raw material yard. Read: Indian Minister’s visit: Trade through Benapole port suspended for 2 days Helaluzzaman, an Ansar official posted at the port, said their members recovered the 49 Phensedyl bottles after noticing the suspicious movement of some people surrounding a truck. Later, the drugs were handed over to the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), he said. A few days ago, two fingerprint machines went missing from the office of the Deputy Traffic Manager. Members of Prima were suspected to be involved. Port sources held negligence by the authorities concerned responsible for the drug peddling, making it difficult to nab the culprits. Currently, 163 Ansar members, 42 APBn personnel, and 129 staff from the private security firm Prima are on duty, in addition to 375 installed CCTV cameras. Anowar Ali Anu, Vice President of the Benapole Importers-Exporters Association, said that smugglers collect drugs from Indian goods-laden trucks or borders and distribute them throughout the country. He mentioned that the peddlers use the port as a base for smuggling, often aided by some unscrupulous officials. Read more: Indian Minister’s visit: Decision on suspending trade for 3 days through Benapole port withdrawn Shamsur Rahman, President of the Clearing & Forwarding Agent Association, emphasised the need to make the scanning machines operational to combat drug smuggling and called for increased vigilance by law enforcement. Rashedul Sajib Nazir, Deputy Director of the port, said they have raised the issue of the idle scanner machines with the higher authorities.

A Bangladeshi family suffered harassment at the hands of Indian border guards who entered their frontier home while chasing drug smugglers, border officials said on Friday. The incident occurred on Thursday night at the Phulbari border of Uttar Kuthi Chandrakhana in Kurigram Sadar. Read:Bangladeshi man found dead at Kurigram border, police suspect BSF shooting Local villager Rafiqul Islam said BSF members forced their entry into the house despite his protest that no smuggler was there. They misbehaved with him and his family members. However, BSF members told the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at a flag meeting on Friday that they entered Bangladesh by mistake while chasing the smugglers in darkness. Read:2 Bangladeshi youths killed in BSF firing along Lalmonirhat border Lalmonirhat 15 BGB Battalion Commander Lt. Col. SM Touhidul Alam PAC said that the situation was brought under control after the flag meeting. The BSF guards have admitted their wrongdoing, he said.  

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has claimed to have arrested 14 suspected drug smugglers, 12 of them Rohingya refugees, in the port city of Chattogram and seized Yaba pills worth Tk 12 crore from their possession. Read: Narcotics department is to crack down on 3,500 listed drug dealers in Dhaka The arrestees have been identified as Abul Kalam (27), Abul Foyez (50) and 12 Rohingya refugees -- Manir Hossain, 45, Alam, 41, Rafique, 29, Yeahia, 28, Dil Molammad, 23, Majibur Rahman, 19, Abdul Majid, 28, Tarek, 19, Hossain, 42, Bashir Ahmed, 22, Manjur Alam, 19 and Ekram Ullah of Kutupalong Rohingya camp. Acting on a tip-off, members of the elite force intercepted a boat off the coast ofChattogram and seized the consignment of  3.96 lakh Yaba pills worth Tk 12 crore on Wednesday, said Lieutenant Colonel MA Yusuf, commanding officer of Rab-7. Read: 5 drug peddlers held in Dhaka The 14 men were heading towards Patenga from Cox’s Bazar on the boat when they were arrested, he said, adding that all the smugglers have been handed over to the local police.