DHAKA: The law enforcing agencies have carried out 322,000 raids in the first six months this year to check smuggling, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said.
During this period, 13,500 people were arrested on smuggling charges and 72,000 cases were initiated, stated the minister.
Kamal released the data at the end of a meeting of the National Smuggling Prevention Committee held at the ministry on Wednesday.
BGB Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed, Additional Inspector General of Police Md Mokhlesur Rahman and other security officials were present at the meeting.
Kamal claimed that smuggling had not increased. But he did point out that the area of such operations had widened.
He said 2,500 of the 72,000 cases had been disposed of, while directives had been sent regarding the early disposal of the rest.
The home minister also said it had been decided to use mobile courts to prevent smuggling.
“This will help in punishing offenders on the spot,” he added.
In the minister’s estimate, there were about five million addicts in the country, most of whom were dependent on smuggled drugs.
