A serving Assistant Sub-Inspector belonging to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has been taken into custody alongside an alleged accomplice following the seizure of 5,310 contraband methamphetamine tablets, known locally as yaba. The targeted operation unfolded during the early hours of Monday, executed by a specialist team from Dakshinkhan Police Station across multiple residential addresses in the capital’s northern hub of Uttara.
The arrested law enforcement officer has been identified as 43-year-old Md Shafiqul Islam, attached to Pallabi Police Station, whilst his alleged associate was named as 24-year-old Wasim.
The targeted crackdown was initiated following actionable intelligence concerning an imminent illicit drug transaction in the vicinity of the Azampur wholesale market in Uttara. Sub-Inspector Bakhtiar Hossain of Dakshinkhan Police Station led a surveillance unit to cordoned positions around the market perimeter. Upon observing the approaching police personnel, Wasim made a desperate attempt to break away on foot, but officers quickly gave chase and restrained him. A subsequent body search yielded an initial package containing 50 yaba tablets concealed on his person.
Under sustained questioning at the scene, Wasim disclosed details regarding a rented residence in the neighbourhood. Acting without delay, the unit raided the property, apprehending ASI Shafiqul and seizing an additional 200 pills found directly in the officer’s possession.
Continued interrogation of both detainees pointed officers towards a primary storage point: a residential flat inside Noor Building, located within the Bismillah Palli enclave adjoining the market area. A meticulous search of the premises uncovered a substantial cache of 5,110 tablets, bringing the aggregate haul from the operation to 5,310 pills.
The investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Shahinur Rahman, confirmed that a formal criminal case has been registered at Dakshinkhan Police Station under the stringent provisions of the Narcotics Control Act. The initial charge sheet lists Shafiqul and Wasim as the principal accused, alongside two to three unidentified accomplices suspected of coordinating logistics and financing the distribution ring. Following preliminary processing, both suspects were produced before a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate, who rejected bail petitions and remanded them directly into judicial custody.
Initial investigative findings indicate that the illicit syndicate sourced consignments through regional smuggling corridors before distributing them across retail networks in Dakshinkhan, Uttara, and neighbouring suburban zones.
Addressing the incident, Inspector (Investigation) Emdadul Haque of Pallabi Police Station stated that senior administrative officers were apprised of the arrest, remarking that ASI Shafiqul had been attached to the station under irregular duties. Formal departmental disciplinary proceedings are set to proceed alongside the criminal trial.
