A 120kg consignment of cannabis allegedly concealed inside the chassis of a passenger bus has been seized by SRB-6 in Bagerhat, with three people, including the driver and helper of the vehicle, detained in connection with the suspected drug trafficking operation.
The detainees have been identified as Parvez, Nur Amin and Aminur Rahman. All three are residents of Rangpur Sadar upazila. Authorities said the men are known to be involved in drug dealing and have multiple cases against them at police stations in different parts of the country.
The operation was carried out following intelligence information received by SRB-6 that a passenger bus carrying a large quantity of cannabis was travelling towards Mongla from Kanchpur in Dhaka, passing through Morelganj in Bagerhat.
Based on the information, members of SRB-6 began monitoring the vehicle. The bus was later intercepted in the Brahmanmetha area while it was travelling along the suspected route.
Syed Fazlur Rahman, deputy director of SRB-6 in Khulna, said the driver, helper and another person were questioned after the vehicle was stopped. During the questioning, information was obtained that the cannabis had allegedly been hidden inside the chassis at the rear of the bus.
The law enforcement team then searched the indicated section of the vehicle. Six separate cartons were recovered from inside the chassis, containing a total of 120kg of cannabis.
The concealment method had allegedly been used to keep the drugs away from the bus’s ordinary passenger and luggage areas. Such concealment can make detection more difficult during routine inspections, particularly when a vehicle is being used for regular passenger transport.
According to SRB-6 sources, the detainees admitted during preliminary questioning that the same vehicle had previously been used to transport cannabis. Investigators are now examining their statements to establish how frequently the vehicle may have been used and whether other people were involved in arranging previous consignments.
The authorities are also trying to identify others connected with the latest shipment. The investigation is expected to focus on the source of the cannabis, the people who arranged its transportation and the intended destination of the consignment.
The route from Kanchpur through Morelganj towards Mongla is also being examined as part of the investigation. However, officials have not disclosed further details about the suspected recipients or the wider network allegedly connected with the shipment.
The seizure came after an intelligence-led operation rather than a routine inspection. Officials said further questioning of the three detainees could provide information about other individuals involved in the trafficking network.
A case under the relevant provisions of the narcotics law is being prepared against the three detainees. Authorities said legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation, while efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend others allegedly linked to the consignment.
