Police have arrested a Chinese national and a Bangladeshi woman after allegedly discovering an illicit locally produced liquor operation inside a residential flat in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka.
The two were arrested on Tuesday afternoon at Meen Tower in Purba Hati, Hemayetpur, where police seized 13 buckets of liquor and equipment used to produce alcoholic drinks.
The suspects have been identified as Chinese national Fili Lihan, 54, and Bangladeshi citizen Champa Das. According to police, officers from Savar Model Police Station visited the building to investigate a complaint and discovered what appeared to be a liquor production facility inside one of the flats. They then conducted an immediate operation and arrested the pair.
Police alleged that the two had been producing and selling locally made liquor for an extended period while evading the attention of the authorities. The equipment used in the production process was also recovered from the premises.
Saiful Alam, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station, said the two were arrested while liquor was allegedly being made at Das’s residence. He added that Das had reportedly been involved in producing liquor at the flat for the past two and a half years.
A case has been filed against the two under Bangladesh’s narcotics control legislation, and they have been sent to court, the officer said.
The discovery has raised questions about how the alleged operation was able to continue inside a residential building for such a long period. Police have not provided further details about the volume of liquor produced, the extent of its distribution or whether other people were involved in the alleged business.
Investigators may need to establish the source of the ingredients, the methods used to produce the liquor and whether it was supplied to customers beyond the immediate area. The seized equipment and liquor could also form part of the evidence examined during the investigation.
The case highlights the role of complaints and police inquiries in identifying suspected illegal activities in residential areas. However, the discovery of production equipment alone does not establish the full scale of an operation, and further investigation will be required to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged activity.
Police have confirmed the arrests, the seizure of liquor and equipment, and the filing of a case. The allegations against both suspects remain subject to the legal process, and they cannot be considered guilty unless the charges are established in court.
