Three people, including a government ambulance driver, have been arrested in Manikganj for allegedly transporting yaba using an ambulance belonging to Manikganj Medical College Hospital. Police said 1,500 yaba tablets were recovered during the operation.
The arrests were confirmed on Friday (28 August) by Manabendra Balo, an inspector with the District Detective Branch (DB) of police. The suspects were detained during a search of the government ambulance at Beutha intersection on Thursday afternoon.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Farid Mohammad Saikat, 47, from the Natun Bosoti area of Manikganj Sadar; Khondkar Atikur Rahman, also known as Rubel, 40, from the Paschim Seota area; and ambulance driver Rezaul Karim Khan, also known as Milon, 41, from Jhitka Kolahati village in Harirampur upazila.
According to the DB, officers increased surveillance around Beutha intersection after receiving confidential information about suspected drug transportation. At around 4pm, they stopped and searched an ambulance operated by Manikganj Medical College Hospital.
During the search, police recovered 1,500 yaba tablets from Farid and Atikur, who were travelling in the ambulance. The driver, Rezaul, was subsequently arrested in connection with the alleged transportation.
Police said Rezaul had been working at Manikganj Medical College Hospital as a contractual driver since May 2013. The hospital has four ambulances, one of which was assigned to him.
The DB alleged that Farid already had several previous drug-related cases against him and that Atikur had been working as his associate. Investigators said they had initially found evidence suggesting that the pair had been using the government ambulance to transport drugs for an extended period.
The allegations will now be examined through the investigation and legal proceedings. The precise role of each of the three suspects, particularly that of the ambulance driver, will be determined as investigators assess the evidence collected during the operation.
The use of a government ambulance in the alleged transportation has also prompted action from the hospital authorities. Such vehicles are intended for patient transportation and other healthcare-related duties, making the alleged use of one in a drug-related offence a matter of concern for the institution.
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, director of Manikganj Medical College Hospital, said he had been informed about the incident. He said the authorities had asked the DB police to take legal action and that the process of dismissing Rezaul from his position was under way.
The DB said the government ambulance allegedly used to transport the drugs had been seized. A case has been filed against the three arrested individuals under the Narcotics Control Act.
The recovered yaba tablets and the seized ambulance will form part of the evidence in the case as the investigation proceeds. Further details about the alleged drug transportation network and the involvement of the suspects are expected to emerge through the legal process.
