Accused put on three days of remand

A Chittagong court yesterday accepted a petition seeking to take Nur Mohammad, chairman of Khatunganj-based importing firm Khan Jahan Ali Ltd, on a three-day remand in a liquid cocaine haul case.

The case's investigation officer, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mohiuddin Faruquee of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-7, moved the petition on Friday, said court sources.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

A container carrying 107 barrels, with labels claiming the content to be sunflower oil, arrived at the Chittagong port from Bolivia via Uruguay on May 8 last year.

On June 6, on a tip-off, customs officials sealed it off and it was opened on June 8 in presence of different agencies.

Two Dhaka labs found the presence of liquid cocaine on June 27 and that day police filed a case with Bandar Police Station under Narcotic Control Act-1990 accusing two persons, including Nur.

On November 19, the Detective Branch of police submitted the charge sheet accusing eight persons but dropping Nur's name. Rejecting it, a Chittagong court on December 7 directed Rab-7 to conduct further investigations by an officer not below the rank of ASP.

Those chargesheeted are Golam Mostafa Sohel, manager of Prime Hatchery, Khan Jahan Ali Ltd's sister concern; his cousin Mehedi Alam, a security company official; Mostafa Kamal, a foreign company's consultant; Cosco Shipping Agency's Manager AK Azad; Mondol Group's Commercial Executive Atiqur Rahman; and Saiful Islam, a clearing and forwarding firm's official.

Md Fazlur Rahman and Bakul Miyan, living in Britain, were shown fugitives.