CHITTAGONG, Nov 10: Country's major port city has again turned into a paradise of smugglers with the fresh in-tensifted influx of smuggled foreign goods through sea, air and land routes, sources said

Most of the goods — mainly gold, drug, contraband foreign cigarettes and electronics reportedly enter the city through sea route. Now this port is used as a convenient transit point by the gold smugglers and drug traffickers.

Sources Informed that in recent months smuggled goods worth crores of taka had flowed into the city markets. As a result, the price of foreign cigarettes which rocketed to over Taka 100 per packet about two months ago, now came down to around Taka 50 per packet, market sources said.

Most of the city markets including Reazuddin Bazar. Mimi

Super Market. Bipani Bitan. Highway plaza and Agrabad Singapore Market have been flooded with contraband goods The sources attributed the unabated Inflow of smuggled goods here to lax anti-smuggling drive at the outer anchorage of Chittagong port and other vul nerable points. Taking advan tage of passivity of task force and other preventive bodies tn eluding custom and law enforcing personnel the alleged smugglers and their kingpins desperately reappeared to run their business.

Some liner vessels operating between Chittagong port and other parts of the world via Singapore and Hong Kong art-engaged in carrying smuggled goods allegedly having connivance of a section of shipping agents and other concerned bodies.

Those liner vessels while ear rytng consignments of cargo to Chittagong port also bring smuggled contrabands which are unloaded at the outer anchorage and sold to the local clients waiting there on board high-powered engine boats, trawlers and sampans Sometimes, the crew members of the ships reportedly carry the smuggled gold and drug — mainly heroin to the city to handover to their recipient kingpins staying here.

Three months ago 1300 tolas of gold were seized by port se curity personnel at Chittagong Port Jetty No. 5 from some Filipino crew who obtaining shore pass’ tried to cross the jetty gate keeping the smuggled gold bars pasted with thigh. On March, 1991 also 1500 tolas of gold were seized from some Filipino crew at the port jetty

and they were arrested But they were tight lipped to name the recipient smugglers here

A senior custom official in charge of preventive operations told The Daily Star over telephone that the anti-smuggling drive could not be made In full swing due to lack of equipment and other logistic supports.

Another task force official said the anti-smuggling opera Uona could not be carried out frequently in the city markets apprehending an outbreak of violence If unleashed by the al k-ged smugglers.

However, In the early months of the current year most of the alleged smugglers and their kingpins went into hiding at the time of anti smuggling crackdown. But with the slackening of the drive they seem to be back to their business in the port city.