Drug dealers, mafia dons use Bangladesh as transit point

DNC understaffed, ill equipped
Drug dealers and Mafia leaders often use Bangladesh as a transit point for dispatching heroin and opium from Myanmar and other countries of the golden triangle to different destinations by dodging the ailing department of narcotics control ( DNC ), which is under staffed and ill equipped to detect their stealthy operation.
As much as 70 per cent of the heroin and opium produced in neighbouring Myanmar, which is the second highest producer of these contraband items, enter Bangladesh through the porous, hilly border and river routes for onward dispatch to different countries of the region, according to sources.
Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos- the golden triangle- near Bangladesh, and on the western front, the hilly areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran are known as heroin producing countries.
Heroin and opium also enter Bangladesh through different points from India, Nepal and Bhutan, the sources said.
According to available statistics, Afghanistan tops the list of heroin and opium producing countries followed by Myanmar and Laos as second and third.
Of the total illegal narcotic and drug trading and transit in Bangladesh, DNC and other law enforcers including Police and RAB could detect only 30 per cent while the bulk – 70 per cent- goes undetected.
In the first five months of this year DNC officials seized huge quantities of heroin, cannabis, phensidyl, etc and filed 3120 cases against 3185 people arrested in this connection.
Poor manpower, lack of trained and efficient people has slowed down the DNC drive against  illegal drug traffickers across the country.
“We do not have adequate manpower nor well trained and efficient people compared to other countries, which frustrate our efforts to nab the criminals and find out the real culprits who run this illegal trade,” Shafat Ahmed Choudhuri, Director (Operations) of DNC told The Independent yesterday.
The Director Operation said that due to her geographic location, Bangladesh has become the transit route of illegal drug trading. 
The internationally organised illegal drug syndicates change their operational tactics almost instantly when their contraband goods are seized by the law enforcing agency, he said adding they also change their routes and carrying system making it extremely difficult for DNC members to detect their movements.   
“The Narcotic Control Department is now running with about 961 employees. Although police and members of other law and enforcing agencies help us during the operation, yet we are not able to nab the criminals and stop their illegal trading. It can be controlled but it is impossible to root out such crimes,” Shafat Ahmed Choudhuri said.
He said the and mission to free the society from the curse of narcotics would not be successful as the DNC does not have the required strength. 
The menace of drug trafficking and addiction in a sizeable section of the populace, especially among adolescents, is on the rise ruining the lives of a large number promising young men and women. But the narcotics department is unable to cope with it due to its inherent weaknesses.
The director operations of DNC said regrettably the manpower of the department is inadequate on the one hand and inadequately trained on the other. Moreover, to combat drug trafficking, the DNC needs a proper,” director Shafat Ahmed added.
Meanwhile another official of the department said that a total of 7.881Kg of heroin, 25961 bottles of contraband Indian phensidyl syrup, 240 kilogram of cannabis, 49 of cannabis plants and 1437 ampoules of pathedine, 1450210  poppy plants and other contraband drugs  have been recovered between the month of January and May,” the official said.
The members of law enforcing agencies and the staffs of DNC are in a position  to nab the dealers and retailers. But the ring leaders of the Mafia world and godfathers remain out of reach  as they are well organised and equipped with sophisticated firearms telecommunication gadgets.
 
Courtesy of The Independent