RAB arrests 153 in anti-drug drive on Dhaka’s Geneva Camp

The Rapid Action Battalion or RAB has arrested 153 people in a drive on the Stranded Pakistanis Relief Camp, popularly known as the Geneva Camp, in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur as part of a nationwide war on drugs.

Police have also arrested 52 others in similar operations on TT Parha slum at Kamalapur and Karail slum at Mohakhali.

RAB-2 commander Anwar Uz Zaman told bdnews24.com that a mobile court handed 77 of the arrested people jail terms from three months to two years on Saturday.

The arrested people include four women and 36 listed drug peddlers, according to the RAB official. The list features total 90 suspects, he said.

He said the RAB personnel detained over 500 people during the drive which started at 10:30am.

Around 350 were released after questioning while 76 have been charged under narcotics control law. The RAB official said they would produce the 76 in a court on Sunday.

“No one of the arrested people is on the top of the chain of drug traders. We are investigating the top drug dealers. Our detectives are also working,” Anwar said.

He said they recovered 13,000 methamphetamine tablets or yaba and 30 kg marijuana from the camp.

RAB detectives, the dog squad and RAB-2 personnel cordoned off the Geneva Camp area in the morning. They then began searching the alleys.

Many drug peddlers tried to dispose of their stash when they became aware of the raid, RAB said.

The camp, where thousands of stranded Pakistanis (better known as Biharis) live is an alleged hub of the drug trade.

RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan said the elite force is conducting the operation in an open and fair way.

“We want to eradicate drug trafficking and expel those involved in the drug trade here. We request the local community not to allow anyone to be spared.”

Similar operations will be continued in the future, he said.

Anwar said they would set up check posts and conduct patrols centring the camp.

The Rapid Action Battalion or RAB personnel conducting an anti-drugs drive on the Stranded Pakistanis Relief Camp, popularly known as the Geneva Camp, in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur early on Friday morning.

A motor mechanic detained in the drive and released after questioning told bdnews24.com: “Many are suffering for a few drug peddlers.”

“We can’t do anything against the drug traders because people in the administration and politicians are also involved in drug trade,” he added.

Beauty Bibi Jahura, a resident of Tejgaon, was caught red handed while buying marijuana at the camp during the drive.

She told bdnews24.com she came to buy marijuana at the camp as it was not available in her area due to the ongoing crackdown on drugs.

The locals handed her to law enforcers at Mohammadpur Police Station later.

Raids on slums

Dhaka Metropolitan Police raided the TT Parha at Kamalapur and the Karail at Mohakhali in the night and arrested 22 and 30 suspects respectively from the two slums.

DMP spokesperson Obaidur Rahman said they recovered 30,000 yaba, around 38kg marijuana and a huge haul of locally made bootleg alcohol.

He also said the arrested people included drug peddlers and addicts.

Mobile courts were working in the slums at midnight and would take until the dawn to complete the work, he added.