Dhaka – Investigation agency is yet to ascertain the final destination of the cocaine consignment, which was seized along with a Spanish national from Hazrat Shahjal International airport on December 8 evening.
Officials of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) arrested the Spanish citizen Chiases Tjo Julian, 52, along with around 3.08 kg cocaine at the airport.
DNC Inspector (Uttara circle) Kamrul Islam filed a case with Airport Police Station in this connection on December 9. DNC inspector Raju Ahmed (Lalbagh circle) was made the investigation officer (IO) of the case.Though Julian was interrogated under a 3-day remand, the DNC officials failed to get any information about the final destination of the drug consignment, they even did not get any name of the drug smuggling syndicate members.
The Spanish national made a confessional statement under Section 164 of the CrPC, that back in Spain, in his home province of Sevilla, he had met another individual in September who made him the offer of carrying a bag to Bangladesh in exchange of $10,000, according to court sources.
The confession was made before Magistrate Mohammed Zakir Hussain of Dhaka CMM Court.
According to his confessional statement, the contents of the bag were apparently unknown to Julian, who then traveled to Spanish capital Madrid, where he was handed 2300 Euros and asked to travel to Brazilian city Sao Paulo. Julian travelled to Sao Paulo on November 11.
He stayed there till December 6. During his stay in the Brazilian city, he met someone who handed over to him an air ticket for the trip to Dhaka via Dubai, plus the consignment in a bag, that he claims to have had no knowledge of. He was also given the details of a booking at the Pacific Hotel in Motijheel.
Julian was told that an individual would meet him at the Hotel Pacific, who would identify himself by showing Julian’s own passport photocopy. The meeting did not take place, as Julian was caught by officials at the airport.
When contacted, I.O. of the case DNC Inspector Raju Ahmed said “We are still in the dark as to the ultimate destination of the cocaine, and who else was involved at this end.”
The IO however confirmed the individuals involved in the racket from at least 4 countries (Spain, Brazil, Singapore and Bangladesh). The Singaporean involvement was confirmed by the fact that the hotel booking was placed by a firm from the Southeast Asian nation.
Earlier several cocaine consignments were seized by the law enforcing agencies, including DNC and Customs Intelligence but final destinations of the seized drug consignments are yet to be confirmed.
However, the investigating agencies say that the most expensive contraband drug item was scheduled to redirect to India as Bangladesh is not so far a lucrative market for cocaine.
Officials of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) seized 107 blue plastic barrels of sunflower oil from a container in Chittagong Port on June 8 this year.
Later on August 31, officials of the DNC with the help of immigration police detained a Peruvian national identified as Jaime Bardales Gomez, 52, and recovered 2.3 kg cocaine from him at Hazrat Shahjalal International airport.
The Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan police also seized six pounds of cocaine and arrested six people in this connection from the capital’s Nikunja on January 24, in 2014.
Earlier on 22 June in 2013, the DNC officials detained two foreign nationals—Zagaceta Al Varada and Juana Pabalo Rafael from Hotel La Vinci of Karwan Bazar area and seized 3 kgs of cocaine from their possessions. – News Desk
