The Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation has arrested an Indian citizen with cocaine, worth around Tk 12 crore at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
He was arrested on Saturday (June 10) on a Qatar Airways flight from Casablanca, Morocco via Doha, Qatar.
Shafiqul Islam, Revenue Officer of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department, confirmed this information.
According to customs intelligence sources, a Qatar Airways flight from Casablanca, Morocco via Doha, Qatar landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 1:30 pm. The officials and employees of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate started searching the plane due to confidential information. Then the passenger named Salmi Lalramadhari, a resident of Mizoram, India was identified in seat 18A of the plane. During the initial interrogation, the passenger denied carrying any drugs. But as the passenger's behaviour was suspicious, the luggage (navy blue coloured trolley bag) was scanned and the passenger's body was searched, the presence of drugs in the trolley bag was witnessed.
After searching the passenger's luggage, 1 kg 800 grams of white cocaine-like drug was found. The seized drug products were initially identified as cocaine by the officials of the Narcotics Control Department through the drug insect test, which has an estimated market value of around Tk 12 crore. The passenger smuggled the seized drugs into the country by hiding them in a cleverly used trolley.
According to customs intelligence sources, a case has been filed against the accused under the Narcotics Control Act, Foreign Exchange Control Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Customs Act and the accused has been handed over to the airport police station.