In a striking turn of events, a targeted anti-narcotics operation conducted by the Detective Branch (DB) of police in Satkhira led to the arrest of two serving police officers who were caught with illegal contraband. The officers were apprehended on Monday afternoon near the Bokchora Bypass area under Satkhira Sadar Upazila and were formally remanded to prison by a local court on Tuesday afternoon.
The arrested officers have been identified as 30-year-old Mostain Billah, currently attached to the Staff Force (SF) branch of the district police and formerly a member of the local DB, and 28-year-old Najmul, who served as a computer operator at the District Police In-Service Training Centre.
According to the case statement, the Detective Branch initiated the raid around 3:00 pm following a tip-off indicating that a group of drug dealers had gathered near a local tea stall on the paved road adjacent to the Bokchora Bypass to conduct a transaction. Upon noticing the approaching DB team, Mostain Billah and Najmul attempted to flee the scene on an unregistered motorcycle. Officers intercepted them swiftly. A subsequent search revealed two 100ml bottles of Winserex syrup inside Mostain Billah’s trouser pocket, alongside a plastic bag containing an additional 54 bottles. The seized contraband carried labels indicating the presence of codeine phosphate and triprolidine hydrochloride syrup.
Mahmudur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Satkhira Sadar Police Station, confirmed that a DB officer filed a formal case regarding the incident on Monday night, taking charge of the ongoing investigation. The seized chemical evidence has been sent for laboratory analysis to verify its composition. Explaining the nature of the drug, Hawladar Mohammad Sirajul Islam, an inspector with the Department of Narcotics Control in Khulna, noted that Winserex syrup functions essentially like Phensedyl, containing the same active codeine phosphate compound under a different brand name.
Sub-Inspector Sarowar Hossain, the investigating officer from the DB, stated that during preliminary interrogation, both accused officers confessed to their long-standing involvement in a joint drug trafficking operation. Beyond the 56 bottles of syrup, law enforcement seized the unregistered motorcycle and two mobile phones used in their illicit activities.
Satkhira District Police Superintendent Abu Saleh Mohammad Ashraful Alam affirmed that the arrested personnel face severe consequences. In addition to criminal charges, both officers face departmental lawsuits and steps are currently underway to suspend them from duty.
The involvement of law enforcement officials in narcotics smuggling has drawn strong public criticism. Mostafizur Rahman, General Secretary of the Satkhira district branch of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan), expressed deep concern over the incident, remarking that when the very individuals entrusted with enforcing the law engage in crime, public confidence in the system fractures. He urged the authorities to ensure strict departmental penalties alongside judicial verdicts and advocated for mandatory drug testing across all police personnel serving in the district.
