DNC finds drug sales expanding online

Digital platforms are increasingly being used to facilitate narcotics sales, with emerging drugs becoming more widely available, according to the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC).

DNC Director General Md Hasan Maruf disclosed these findings at a seminar, styled “Drug Control: Challenges and Ways Forward”, at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Friday.

He said LSD and other emerging drugs, including polysubstances and MBDB, were found during recent raids on resorts in Gazipur.

Hasan also said several consignments of cannabis containing high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) had been detected at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport among passengers from Thailand.

The DNC chief added that drug dealers were facilitating sales by sharing QR codes through Telegram groups and social media.

“We are working to identify these networks through intelligence information,” he said, adding that the DNC has filed a case over the sale of THC-rich cannabis oil through a popular social media platform in Bangladesh.

Maruf explained that drug control is a major challenge in the country due to its geographical location, long borders, large population and high unemployment rate.

“We share nearly 4,000 kilometres of our border with India and 273 kilometres with Myanmar. Besides, Bangladesh’s proximity to the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle also exposes the country to drug trafficking,” he said. On the DNC’s capacity to tackle drug-related activities, he said they have around 3,059 employees spread across 100 offices nationwide.

However, the police, border guard, navy and other government agencies are also working with the DNC to combat drug trafficking.

Still, law enforcement alone is not enough to control the problem, Maruf said while calling for coordinated efforts to reduce demand by preventing youths from engaging in substance abuse. The seminar was organised by Debate for Democracy under the slogan, “Say No to Drugs, Build a Drug-Free Bangladesh”.

Debate for Democracy Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran presented the keynote paper, while Dhaka-6 lawmaker Ishraque Hossain attended as chief guest.