DNC arrests man over online sale of controlled chemicals used in drug production

The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) has arrested an IT manager of an online chemical supplier and seized controlled precursor chemicals following an investigation into the alleged unauthorised sale of such substances through an e-commerce platform.

The DNC said its Dhaka divisional intelligence team detected the online sale of controlled chemicals by a company named E-Chem during a recent cyber-patrolling operation.

As part of the investigation, DNC officials placed an online order for 500ml of acetic anhydride through the company’s platform to determine whether the seller would verify the buyer’s licence, approval and intended use.

According to the DNC, the company accepted the order without seeking documents proving the buyer’s authorisation to purchase the controlled chemical and subsequently arranged its delivery.

When the parcel reached the capital’s Niketan area on 24 August, DNC officials conducted an operation and seized 500ml of acetic anhydride and one litre of acetone from the consignment.

The deliveryman told investigators that E-Chem’s office was located in the Kuril Pragati Sarani area.

Based on the information, a DNC intelligence team later raided the office and arrested the company’s IT manager, Md Abdul Momin Patowary.

The DNC said a total of six litres of chemicals, along with documents related to the sale of controlled precursor chemicals without proper verification, were seized during the operation.

The company’s owner and several others have also been named as accused in the case, while some of them are reportedly absconding.

According to the DNC, precursor chemicals have legitimate industrial and commercial uses but can also be diverted for the production or processing of illicit narcotics.

The department said such chemicals are regulated under the Narcotics Control Act, 2018, which defines precursor chemicals and includes them among controlled substances in its schedule.

The DNC said substances including acetic anhydride, acetone, ethyl ether, hydrochloric acid, methyl ethyl ketone and toluene have legitimate uses but are subject to strict monitoring because of their potential diversion for illicit drug production.

It said precursor chemicals are also subject to international monitoring through mechanisms involving the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Narcotics Control Board to prevent their diversion from legitimate supply chains.

In Bangladesh, businesses dealing in such chemicals are required to maintain proper oversight of buyers, authorisations, quantities and intended uses, the DNC said.

The department is examining the seized chemicals, documents and other evidence and investigating the source and supply chain of the substances sold through the online platform.

The DNC said the investigation would also focus on identifying buyers and determining whether the chemicals had been diverted for illicit purposes.