An anti-narcotics sting conducted by the Detective Branch (DB) in Satkhira led to the arrest of two serving police officers after they were caught attempting to flee with a haul of illicit drugs. The officers were intercepted on Monday afternoon near the Bokchora Bypass area in Satkhira Sadar Upazila and were formally remanded to prison by a local court on Tuesday afternoon.
The arrested personnel have been identified as 30-year-old Mostain Billah, attached to the Staff Force (SF) branch of the district police and formerly a member of the local DB, and 28-year-old Najmul, who worked as a computer operator at the District Police In-Service Training Centre.
Acting on a confidential tip-off, a DB team mounted an operation at approximately 3:00 pm near a tea stall on the paved road adjacent to the Bokchora Bypass, where suspects were reportedly gathering to conduct a drug transaction. Upon spotting the police unit, Mostain Billah and Najmul attempted to speed away on an unregistered motorcycle, but officers intercepted them before they could escape. A subsequent body search yielded two 100ml bottles of Winserex syrup inside Mostain Billah’s trouser pocket, whilst a plastic bag carried on the vehicle contained a further 54 bottles. The labels specified the presence of codeine phosphate and triprolidine hydrochloride syrup. Law enforcement officers also confiscated two mobile phones along with the unlicensed motorcycle.
Mahmudur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Satkhira Sadar Police Station, confirmed that a DB officer filed a formal criminal case on Monday night under the Narcotics Control Act and has taken charge of the ongoing inquiry. The seized chemical evidence has been dispatched for laboratory testing to confirm its exact composition. Explaining the nature of the drug, Hawladar Mohammad Sirajul Islam, an inspector with the Department of Narcotics Control in Khulna, noted that Winserex acts as a direct substitute for Phensedyl, relying on the same addictive codeine phosphate compound under a rebranded name.
Sub-Inspector Sarowar Hossain, the investigating officer, revealed that the suspects admitted during initial questioning to operating a joint drug trafficking scheme over an extended period. Investigators are currently cross-referencing their statements to uncover broader links within local distribution networks.
Satkhira District Police Superintendent Abu Saleh Mohammad Ashraful Alam affirmed that the department is taking severe measures against the pair. Alongside the criminal trial, administrative proceedings have been initiated, with formal suspension orders currently being finalized.
The involvement of law enforcement personnel in organized drug distribution has triggered public indignation. Mostafizur Rahman, General Secretary of the Satkhira district branch of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan), voiced concern over the incident, observing that criminality within law enforcement severely erodes public confidence. He called for strict departmental sanctions alongside judicial penalties, while urging authorities to introduce mandatory drug testing for all police officers serving across the district.
