The estimated market value of the seized drugs is around Tk 300,000.
The recovery was made during an operation conducted by SRB-9 in the Subidbazar area of Sylhet city at around 11.45pm on Thursday (12 November), following a tip-off about a suspected drug consignment being transported in a goods vehicle.
Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Asif Reza of SRB-9 confirmed the operation and the subsequent detention of the two individuals.
According to SRB-9, its members received information that a stone-carrying lorry was travelling from Bholaganj towards Dhaka via Sylhet, allegedly carrying a substantial quantity of illegal drugs. Acting on the information, the team began tracking the vehicle and eventually identified it in the Subidbazar area.
The lorry was subsequently stopped and searched. Although it appeared to be carrying an ordinary load of stones, officers discovered a specially constructed concealed compartment underneath the vehicle. Two sacks containing bottles of Fairdil had been hidden inside the compartment.
During preliminary questioning, the driver and his assistant reportedly admitted that the drugs had been concealed in the specially designed space beneath the lorry, according to SRB-9. A subsequent search led to the recovery of approximately 200 bottles.
The operation highlights the methods allegedly used by drug traffickers to transport illicit substances while attempting to avoid detection. Concealing drugs within modified sections of commercial vehicles can make routine inspections more challenging, particularly when such vehicles are carrying legitimate goods.
Stone-carrying lorries regularly travel along routes connecting areas such as Bholaganj with other parts of the country. Using these vehicles as cover for suspected drug consignments, if established through investigation, could allow traffickers to exploit ordinary commercial transport movements to conceal their activities.
Following the discovery, SRB-9 detained the driver and his assistant and seized both the lorry and the recovered drugs. The vehicle and the seized substances were taken into the unit’s custody for further legal proceedings.
Confirming the details, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Asif Reza said Fairdil had been recovered from a specially constructed box beneath the lorry. He added that the driver and his assistant had been detained and that both the vehicle and the drugs had been seized.
Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the transportation of the consignment, including its intended destination and whether other individuals were involved. However, no further details about the investigation or subsequent legal action were immediately available.
