Amid massive controversy over the Yunus regimeโs inclination to Pakistan since capturing power last year, mainly in the fields of diplomacy, military and trade, Chittagong Port officials reported several suspicious consignments that were not scanned due to the special privilege.
Journalists and political observers suspect that Pakistanโs Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sent arms and cocaine to the jihadist groups in Bangladesh, particularly the banned Jamaโatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).
But now a new item has been exposed, as the Chittagong Portโs Customs House officials seized two containers filled with 24,940 kg of poppy seeds, a Class โAโ narcotic, in the name of bird feed.
The Audit, Investigation, and Research (AIR) branch conducted the operation based on confidential information on Thursday. Although the declaration mentioned 32,100 kg of bird feed in the two containers imported from Pakistan, physical examination found 24,960 kg of poppy seeds and 7,200 kg of bird feed.
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The products were imported by Messrs. Adib Trading, located at No. 7 Korbaniganj under Chittagong Kotwali Police Station. MH Trading Customs C&F Agent Limited is acting as the C&F agent on their behalf.
Chittagong Customs House Deputy Commissioner HM Kabir said that two containers of goods were imported from Pakistan to Chittagong Port on October 23. They were brought to the offshore of Chhabar Ahmed Timber Company Limited for clearance. Based on confidential information, the customs authorities suspended the clearance of the two consignments and later completed the physical examination.
The goods were confirmed as poppy seeds by the Nanotechnology Center of Dhaka University, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), and the Plant Quarantine Department.
According to the Import Policy Order 2021-2024, poppy seeds are prohibited from being imported as a Class โAโ narcotic. The consignment has been seized under the Customs Act 2023 for importing prohibited goods under false declaration.
Customs sources said that the declared value of the goods was Tk30 lakh. But the value of the goods found in the physical examination was about Tk6.5 crore.
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