A 25-year-old motorcyclist was arrested after traffic police allegedly recovered 10 packets of cannabis during a routine checkpoint search in Dhaka’s Dayaganj area on Wednesday.
The incident took place at a traffic police checkpoint on the left side of the Dayaganj intersection, within the Wari traffic division. Police said officers were carrying out routine checks on vehicles and verifying the necessary documents of drivers when they stopped a motorcycle being ridden by a man identified as Shishir, 25.
According to police, the initial inspection focused on the motorcycle’s documents. Officers subsequently searched a bag that Shishir was carrying with him. During the search, they allegedly found 10 small packets of cannabis inside a blue card holder kept in the bag.
Following the recovery, police took the motorcycle and the seized cannabis into custody and handed Shishir over to Gandaria Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Niaz Mehedi, additional deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Media and Public Relations Division, confirmed the incident. He said the traffic personnel were performing routine vehicle and document checks at the checkpoint when the search led to the recovery of the suspected cannabis from Shishir’s bag.
Police said legal proceedings concerning the seized narcotics were under way. Action against the suspect was also being pursued under the country’s narcotics control legislation.
Routine checkpoints are commonly used by traffic police in busy parts of Dhaka to verify vehicle documents and ensure compliance with traffic regulations. Depending on the circumstances, officers may also conduct searches when they have grounds to suspect that a vehicle or its occupants may be involved in an offence. Such operations can bring other alleged offences to light alongside traffic-related violations.
The Dayaganj incident came to police attention during one such routine operation. However, authorities have not immediately disclosed where Shishir allegedly obtained the cannabis or where he was taking it. Police also did not provide details on whether anyone else was suspected of being involved.
The recovery of multiple packets has prompted the authorities to begin the relevant legal process at Gandaria Police Station. Further details about the source of the suspected narcotics, their intended destination and any possible involvement of other individuals would depend on the outcome of the investigation.
At this stage, the allegations remain subject to the legal process. The suspect’s arrest and the seizure of the suspected cannabis do not, by themselves, establish guilt, which must be determined through the appropriate judicial proceedings.
