SRB-6 has seized 120kg of cannabis allegedly being transported in a concealed compartment inside the chassis of a passenger bus and detained three people in connection with the consignment.
The detainees have been identified as Parvez, Nur Amin and Aminur Rahman. All three are from Rangpur Sadar upazila. According to the authorities, they are known to be involved in drug trafficking and have multiple cases filed against them at different police stations across the country.
The seizure followed intelligence information received by SRB-6 that a passenger bus carrying a large consignment of cannabis was travelling from Kanchpur in Dhaka towards Mongla through Morelganj in Bagerhat.
Acting on the information, an SRB-6 team monitored the vehicle’s movement. The bus was eventually stopped in the Brahmanmetha area for inspection.
According to Syed Fazlur Rahman, deputy director of SRB-6 in Khulna, the driver, helper and another passenger were questioned after the bus was intercepted. During the questioning, information emerged that cannabis had allegedly been concealed inside the chassis at the rear section of the vehicle.
The team subsequently searched the specified part of the bus and recovered six separate cartons containing cannabis. The total weight of the seized drugs was 120kg.
The method of concealment appears to have been designed to make the consignment difficult to detect during routine checks. Instead of keeping the drugs inside the passenger or luggage compartments, the cannabis had allegedly been placed inside the vehicle’s chassis, away from the areas normally inspected during travel.
SRB-6 officials said the detainees admitted during preliminary questioning that cannabis had previously been transported using the same vehicle. Investigators are now examining their statements and other information to determine whether the bus was repeatedly used as part of a wider drug trafficking network.
The authorities are also attempting to identify other people who may have been involved in arranging, transporting or receiving the consignment. The precise destination of the seized cannabis and the intended recipients will be subject to further investigation.
The seizure highlights the methods used by drug traffickers to conceal narcotics during transportation. Passenger vehicles can provide opportunities to move illicit consignments across different districts while blending into regular traffic, making intelligence-led operations particularly significant in detecting such shipments.
A case under the relevant provisions of the narcotics law is being prepared against the three detainees. Further legal action is expected based on the findings of the investigation and information obtained during their questioning.
