DHAKA: Existence of liquid cocaine has been found in barrels of edible oil, seized from a container at Chittagong Port, after their contents were retested.
Trace of cocaine was found in separate tests conducted in two laboratories in Dhaka, Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation’s Director General Mainul Khan said here the other day.
The samples were sent to Dhaka after the result of the test conducted in the port that did not find any trace of cocaine failed to convince police.
The retests were done in the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) and Bangladesh Drug Testing Laboratory (BDTL).
“The cocaine is found in the container’s barrel number 96 after the liquid in it was tested,” Mainul Khan told media.
“I assume one third of the drum’s 185 kg sunflower oil is liquid cocaine.”
The container was imported from Bolivia in the name of Khan Jahan Ali Limited of Chittagong’s Khatunganj.
As per the import documents the consignment was that of sunflower oil.
The CII sealed the container at the NCT yard of the Chittagong port on June 7 based on an intelligence report.
The physical test of the contents was done the following day in presence of senior officials of Detective Branch (DB) of police, customs intelligence, Department of Narcotics Control, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Bangladesh Navy.
The primary test found no trace of cocaine in the 107 drums in the container.
On that day, Additional Inspector General of Police Javed Patwary said a foreign intelligence agency confirmed them that there was cocaine in the container.
Port officials said the container reached Chittagong port on May 12 from Montevideo in Uruguay.
None claimed ownership of the container after it reached Chittagong.
Khan Jahan Ali Limited’s proprietor Nur Mohammad claimed he knew nothing about the consignment.
Police detained Mohammad’s manager Sohel.
DB’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Tanvir Arafat then said Sohel admitted importing the container without the knowledge of the owner.
Customs intelligence and detective police’s further investigation revealed that the consignment had no essential import documents.
