Drug peddlers working as police sources!

* Extort money from people thru intimidation

Many drug peddlers are working as police sources in the capital and extorting money from people after threatening to implicate them in drug cases.

A section of police officers roams around with such informers on their motorcycles, encouraging them to commit the crime, alleged locals of different city areas.

Admitting the fact, Faruk Hossain, deputy commissioner (Media and Public Relations) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told the Daily Sun that they received such allegations and took action against a number of informants.

He said police officers need sources to dig out clues behind different cases and arrest the accused. “It’s true that some sources misuse their relations with police officers. We sometimes receive allegations that the informers are taking extortion from people in the name of the police officers they are working for,” he said.

“Many sources are involved in drug trade. We’ve taken action against many such sources,” he said.

Shahjada, Liton, Golam Hossain and Kalu, the listed drug dealers of Kamrangirchar area in the city, are now allegedly working as the informants of some police officers of Kamrangirchar Police Station.

Allegations are rife that they extorted money from a number of people after threatening to implicate them in drug cases.

Wishing not to be named, a youth of Acharwalaghat said he along with one of his friends entered a house of the area a few days ago. “Suddenly, Shahjada, Kalu and Golam rushed in and caught me.”

“At one stage, they demanded a handsome amount of money from me as extortion, threatening to file a case against me. Later, I paid them Tk 3,000,” he said.

A woman, seeking anonymity, said she paid Tk 20,000 to Kalu, Shahjada, Liton and some others as extortion.

Mohammad Hossain, councillor from ward 56 of Dhaka South City Corporation, said they heard that some drug dealers were working as sources of police and they roam around with the policemen. “If a police officer and a drug trader ride a motorcycle together, the drug pusher is given a certificate that he has close relations with the policeman. And the local people get afraid of the drug dealer,” he said.

Contacted, Liton said he worked as a source of police and helped police arrest many drug dealers. “But I’ve never taken money as extortion from anybody,” he said.

On August 7 night, it was reported by police that mugger, Shanto Sajib Joy, was killed after being run over by a vehicle at Chawkbazar while he and his associates were fleeing after robbing a passerby named Riazuddin of his belongings.

Later, Riaz filed a case against six people, including Joy, with Chawkbazar Police Station. But CCTV footage dug out that Riaz, Mohammad Rabbi and some others beat Joy and threw him under the wheels of a running vehicle.

Locals said Riaz and Rabbi are the informers of Chwakbazar police and they deal in drugs in the Urdu Road area.

When contacted, Riaz denied the allegation. Asked about the CCTV footage, he did not make any comment.