Law enforcement officials in Chittagong have successfully apprehended a suspected narcotics trader during a targeted raid on a residential property. The operation, conducted by the EPZ Police Station on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, resulted in the recovery of a significant quantity of illicit substances, including 2,200 Yaba tablets and 5 kilograms of cannabis.
The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Mohammad Nizam (also known as Nezam), was detained in the Madrazi Shah Para area. According to police records, Nizam is a resident of the Bandartila locality within the city and is alleged to have been operating a distribution network for some time.
Details of the Operation at ‘Sagar Villa’
Acting on precise intelligence regarding the storage of narcotics, a specialised team from the EPZ Police Station, led by Officer-in-Charge (OC) Muhammad Atiqur Rahman, executed a raid on a building known locally as Sagar Villa. The officers focused their search on a specific apartment situated on the fourth floor of the premises.
During the search of the room, police discovered the following items:
2,200 Yaba tablets: A synthetic stimulant consisting of caffeine and methamphetamine, which is highly regulated in Bangladesh.
5 kg of Cannabis: Packaged for distribution.
Cash Reserves: A total of 70,720 Bangladeshi Taka, which the police believe to be the direct proceeds from recent narcotics transactions.
Motorcycle: A vehicle suspected of being used for the logistical transport and delivery of drugs across the city.
Nizam was taken into custody on the spot without incident. The seizure of both the illicit goods and the cash provides substantial evidence for the prosecution’s case under the existing drug control frameworks.
Criminal Profile and Legal Proceedings
Preliminary interrogation of the suspect has revealed that Nizam is a “habitual offender” with a long-standing involvement in the regional drug trade. Local police files indicate that this is not his first encounter with law enforcement; he already faces several active cases at both the Bandar and EPZ police stations. These prior charges include violations under the Narcotics Control Act and the Arms Act, suggesting a history of involvement in organised crime.
OC Muhammad Atiqur Rahman provided a statement regarding the procedural follow-up:
“A fresh case has been registered at the EPZ Police Station in connection with this incident. Following the completion of mandatory legal formalities and initial processing, the arrested individual has been forwarded to the court for judicial proceedings.”
Context of Narcotics Enforcement in Chittagong
Chittagong, being a major port city and a critical transit point, remains a primary focus for the Bangladesh Police and the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC). The recovery of Yaba is of particular concern to authorities due to its high addiction rate and its typical trafficking routes from across the south-eastern border.
The EPZ (Export Processing Zone) area is a densely populated industrial hub, making it a sensitive location for law enforcement. The successful raid at Sagar Villa is part of an intensified crackdown on urban drug dens intended to disrupt the supply chain to industrial workers and local youths.
The suspect remains in judicial custody pending further investigation. The police have indicated that they are now working to identify the upstream suppliers who provided the 2,200 Yaba tablets and the cannabis to Nizam, as they seek to dismantle the wider network operating within the Bandartila and Madrazi Shah Para sectors. The seized motorcycle is also undergoing forensic examination to trace its ownership and movement history via the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) database.