Chittagong court orders five agencies to probe cocaine haul case

A Chittagong court has asked five government investigation agencies to begin a concerted probe into the liquid cocaine haul at the Chittagong port.

Chittagong Bureaubdnews24.com
Published : 7 July 2015, 05:56 PM
Updated : 7 July 2015, 06:32 PM

Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Farid Alam issued the order on Tuesday.

The court also instructed that copies of the order be sent to Chittagong Port Authority, security agencies at the port, customs authorities, Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, Department of Narcotics Control and Chittagong Metropolitan Police.

Last Sunday, the court had verbally ordered the government agencies to conduct the probe with proper coordination and asked the investigator to collect evidence.

Tuesday’s order came after the investigator, Detective Branch Assistant Commissioner (North) Md Kamruzzaman, alleged that he had failed to gather evidence due to the absence of officials.

He submitted a petition to the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon, seeking a written order for gathering evidence.

File Photo

CII Additional Director General Hossain Ahmed appealed to Chittagong’s acting Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Nurul Alam’s court against Magistrate Farid Alam’s Sunday order.

The court recorded the petition.

CMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Kazi Muttalib Ibnu Minan told bdnews24.com: “The court has ordered the port authorities, customs, CII, DNC and police to work in coordination.”

“The investigation officer will collect evidence in the presence of a deputy commissioner-level police officer and Grade I officials of other government agencies,” he added.

The court order says the IO will prepare the seizure list in presence of ‘these officials’ and the officials will sign the list before the IO, who will place the list before the court.

Later, the evidence will be sent to a laboratory for examination on court order.

Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrates Court Public Prosecutor Fakhruddin Chowdhury told bdnews24.com he had said at the hearing that the state agencies would have to ensure that the accused did not benefit from ‘differences’ among them.

“The court said in the order that supremacy of no government agency involved in the matter will be acceptable. The accused benefit if anyone tries to establish supremacy.

“Those responsible for the benefit of the accused can be charged with criminal offences.”

CII official Ahmed denied any comment on the court order until he received a copy.

The CII arrested four people for their suspected involvement in the smuggling of cocaine under the guise of edible oil import.

They are readymade garment exporter Mondol Group’s Commercial Executive Md Atiqur Rahman, COSCO Bangladesh Shipping Lines Ltd Manager (Corporate Sales and Marketing) AKM Azad, Prime Hatchery Manager Golam Mostafa Sohel and one Mostafa Kamal.

The CII had sealed the container at the NCT yard of the port on June 7 based on an intelligence report.

A case was filed with Bandar Police Station under Narcotics Control Act, naming two persons, over the drug haul.

Port officials said the container imported from Bolivia was shipped to Uruguay’s capital Montevideo and it arrived in Chittagong on May 12 via Singapore.