Several strong syndicates have long been smuggling goods through the
Sylhet Railway Station as a safe route to different parts of the
country. The on-duty railway employees prefer smugglers than
passengers of Sylhet station, it is alleged. Smuggling is going on
almost unabated with the help of train attendants, GRP, even on-duty
ticket collectors and guards,
sources said.
If sometimes passengers obstruct their activities they along with
railway staff are assaulted and harassed. Sometimes, altercation take
place between passengers and GRP men. The loading of the smuggled
goods into and unloading the same from the trains that touch the
Sylhet railway station has become a daily common feature.
Even the passengers traveling through the station always feel insecure
due to menace of pickpockets, ‘Malam’ parties and ‘Tana’ parties. Very
often members of RAB and BGB conduct raids in trains and recover a
huge quantity of smuggled goods. Nevertheless, the raids neither curb
smuggling nor stop the smugglers from smuggling goods and drugs. But
only makes the journey of passenger through these trains uncomfortable.
According to informed sources, both passenger and cargo trains are
stuffed with ‘Indian goods’. The goods include Indian contraband
phensidyl, contraband medicines, clothes, steel materials, power milk,
cosmetic, inferior fertiliser, spices of different categories, heroin,
sex-inducing tablets including yaba, opium and imitation jewellery.
There are reportedly invoices of illegal arms. The sources said some
persons of the rail gate area are the ringleaders of the smuggling
syndicate who were dominating the Sylhet railway station.
They are helping in the act of smuggling.
Another sources said, a good number of traders are controlling the
smuggling syndicate. These traders carry the smuggled goods to
different places across the country.
Reports have it that smugglers in collusion with a section of
dishonest GRP police on duty in the Sylhet railway station are earning
much by creating scope for smuggling.
They have reportedly a gang for realising the bribe money. Sources
added, at the end of the month a major portion of the bribe money is
sent reportedly to the GRP officials.
Men of different professions of the railway station area on condition
of anonymity said, the law and order of the area is deteriorating due
to the inaction of GRP and police members of Sylhet Daksin surma
thana.
Beggars, hawkers, subscription collectors’ men and women carrying
goods from the station aggravate the situation.
They said, just after sun set, vendors of heroin, hemp, phensidyl and
other drugs begin prowling in length and breadth of the railway
station area.
They silently approach the passengers to sell these drugs. The
pickpockets, thugs and hoodlums also roam around the station at night
and fall on the passengers at the opportune moment to rob of them of
their money and other belongings.
The Railghate, Kadomtoli and Barthakhala areas in the city have earned
notoriety as a safe haven for the sale and purchase of the smuggled
goods.
Sourcing wishing anonymity said that there exists shortage of night
guards at the railway station. Police or Ansar is not posted at the
railway station. As a result, the passengers are
suffering from insecurity.
– Our correspondent
