CHITTAGONG: A Chittagong court yesterday ordered the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) to conduct further laboratory tests of an oil drum that is suspected of containing liquid cocaine.
The court instructed the DNC to send samples from the drum – marked as number 59 out of 107 drums of imported sunflower oil – to the DNC’s lab in Dhaka to determine whether there was truly liquid cocaine inside.
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Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Nurul Alam Mohammad Nipu passed the order yesterday, said CMP’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Kazi Muttaki Ibn Minan.
He said the court on August 30 had ordered the investigation officer of the case to collect samples from drum number 59. Yesterday’s order came after the IO, Chittagong Metropolitan Police Detective Branch Assistant Commissioner (North) Mohammad Kamruzzaman, produced the samples.
Earlier, traces of cocaine was found inside drum number 96 while the DNC also suspected there might be cocaine in drum number 59 as well.
On August 27, the IO pleaded before the court to be allowed to conduct further lab tests on drum 59.
The search for cocaine began on June 6, when the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation sealed a container in Chittagong Port on suspicion that it was carrying 2,140kg of liquid cocaine.
Upon a physical examination of the container on June 8, a joint team failed to find the drug’s existence; but authorities decided to go ahead with a lab test to dispel any suspicion.
The test revealed on June 27 that there was indeed traces of cocaine inside drum 96.
The following day, the police lodged a drug case with Bandar police station, while the court later ordered to attach the section on smuggling to the existing case.
So far, six people have been arrested in connection with the case, while three people have given confessional statements under section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code.
The alleged importer of the consignment, Khan Jahan Ali Limited Chairman Nur Mohammad, has been on the run since the incidents unfolded.
Investigators have also been looking into suspected links of a Bangladesh-origin UK citizen, Bakul Mia, of being involved with the smuggling .
