Mohammadpur ‘drug lord’ arrested at Dhaka airport on return from Nepal

He is facing at least 25 criminal cases, police say

Police have arrested “Picchi Raja”, a suspected drug trafficker based in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur, upon his return from Nepal.

He was apprehended at Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday evening, according to Jewel Rana, additional deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Mohammadpur zone.

Acting on a tip-off that Picchi Raja, along with his wife and brother-in-law, was returning from Nepal, a police team took position at the airport, he said.

“They were taken into custody with the assistance of the Special Branch (SB) and immigration police as soon as they landed," Jewel said.

The detainees have been moved to the Mohammadpur Police Station.

Police said Picchi Raja is a notorious figure in Dhaka's illicit drug trade and had been on the run for a long time.

He faces at least 25 criminal cases.

He was last arrested on Sept 29, 2024, when law-enforcing officials recovered a massive cache of drugs and firearms from his possession.