Narcotics control officers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka have arrested an Indian national attempting to smuggle three kilograms of kush, a premium grade of cannabis, into Bangladesh. The seizure follows a separate incident days earlier where two other Indian nationals abandoned over four kilograms of the same illicit substance before fleeing the terminal.
The arrested man has been identified as Hossain Abdul Kader Sheikh, a resident of Karnataka, India. Specialist officers from the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) intercepted him on Saturday afternoon as he attempted to walk through the airport’s Green Channel.
Dr Md Abu Sayeed Mia, an official representing the DNC Dhaka Metro (North) office, confirmed the arrest and provided details of the interception. During a targeted physical search of the passenger’s luggage, enforcement officers uncovered three kilograms of high-grade kush concealed beneath layers of folded clothing inside his trolley bag. Alongside the contraband, authorities seized his Indian passport, a mobile phone, and a mix of foreign currencies, including 400 US dollars, 1,550 Thai baht, and 400 Indian rupees.
During preliminary interrogation, Sheikh admitted that he had travelled to Dhaka with the narcotic consignment as part of a coordinated cross-border syndicate. He told investigators that local contacts in Bangladesh had arranged his itinerary, agreeing to manage his accommodation and facilitate the distribution of the drugs on the domestic black market. A criminal case under the Narcotics Control Act has been formally registered against him at Airport Police Station.
The interception follows closely on the heels of another smuggling attempt at the same airport on Tuesday afternoon. In that instance, two Indian nationals managed to evade capture by abandoning two trolley bags containing 4.18 kilograms of kush alongside photocopies of their Indian passports before melting into the crowds outside the terminal.
According to an official DNC press release, the suspects—identified as Akash Dubey, 28, and Akash Pandey, 34, both residents of Gondolpara in Kolkata, West Bengal—had arrived on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok at around 6:30 pm. Sensing the presence of narcotics enforcement personnel stationed near the Green Channel, the pair discarded their luggage and fled the arrivals concourse.
Subsequent searches conducted in the presence of representatives from multiple airport security agencies revealed the abandoned stash of premium cannabis. Investigators have filed a separate criminal case at Airport Police Station and are actively reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the terminal and surrounding roadways to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
