A mother-in-law and her son-in-law have been arrested in Narail’s Lohagara upazila after the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) allegedly recovered one kilogramme of cannabis and 101 yaba tablets from a house in the area.
The two were arrested during an operation at a house in Panchuria village on Monday afternoon (31 August). They were produced before a court on Tuesday and subsequently sent to jail.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sima Begum, 38, wife of Yusuf Sheikh of Panchuria village, and her son-in-law, Russell Sheikh, 21, son of Abul Kalam Azad of Noapara village in Lohagara.
According to the DNC’s Narail office, the operation was conducted following information received from a confidential source. A team of narcotics control officials went to Yusuf Sheikh’s residence in Panchuria on Monday afternoon and carried out a search of the house.
During the search, officials recovered one kilogramme of cannabis and 101 yaba tablets, leading to the arrest of Sima Begum and Russell Sheikh at the scene.
Golok Majumder, deputy director of the DNC’s Narail office, confirmed the arrests and said a case had been filed against the two at Lohagara Police Station under the Narcotics Control Act.
The case comes against the backdrop of continuing efforts by law enforcement agencies to curb the distribution and sale of illegal drugs in different parts of Bangladesh. Cannabis and yaba remain among the substances frequently targeted in narcotics enforcement operations, with authorities regularly conducting searches based on intelligence and information from local sources.
Majumder alleged that Sima Begum and Russell Sheikh had been involved in drug dealing together. He also said Yusuf Sheikh, Sima’s husband, is currently in jail in connection with a narcotics case.
According to the DNC official, Yusuf Sheikh is considered one of the prominent drug dealers in Lohagara. He alleged that after Yusuf was sent to jail, Sima Begum and her son-in-law continued the alleged drug trade. The official further claimed that the family members had been involved in the activity for around six years.
The recovered substances have been taken into custody as part of the legal proceedings. The case filed under the Narcotics Control Act will now determine the allegations against the accused through the judicial process.
The DNC has said its anti-drug operations will continue. Officials have also stressed the importance of intelligence-led action in identifying people allegedly involved in the supply and distribution of narcotics.
Both Sima Begum and Russell Sheikh have been sent to jail following their court appearance. The allegations against them remain subject to the legal process.
