JESSORE, Sept 8: Special team led by Assistant Director Narcotic Department. Jessore. recovered huge quantity of contraband drugs including 53 bottles oi foreign liquor, 24 cans of beer, and nine bottles of phen-sidyl syrup worth Taka 60.000 from Magura town and arrested shopkeeper Gopal Chandra Ruara from where possession the recovery was rhade in an anti drug operation on Sept 3 last. The arrested person was handed over to local thana and

In similar operation by this department personnel huge quantity of contrabands including rectified spirit were re-eovered from Moniruzzaman and Barganchara bazar in the district recently.

According to office source of Deputy Director. Narcotic Department. Jessore. a total of 6.440 bottles of phensidyl syrup and another 40 liters of the same in a-jerrycan were recov-

ered from various markets in greater Jessore during the period from January to August last. A total of 47 alleged smugglers were nabbed, the source added. When contacted Deputy Director. Narcotic Department. Wahiduzzaman told The Daily Star-that out of total seizure BDR. Jessore. deposited 6.137 bottles and the jerrycan containing 40 litres of phensidyl. and the rest 303 bottles were seized by his department during the period under review.

He also said that out of total persons arrested six were arrested by them while the other 41 by BDR men.

When asked where other departments including police and customs deposited phensidyl or narcotics during the period, he replied in the negative.

In reply to the questions whether contraband drugs, seized by customs and police

were deposited with local narcotics godown like BDR. Deputy Director could no give any satisfactory reply.

When his attention was drawn to the fact that in coming contraband drugs including phensidyl was on increase from across the border and its abuse by young children in particular was alarmingly rising, what steps were taken by the narcotic department to check its smuggling into the country. Deputy Director said no measures woul^l be effective unless people were aware of the bad effect of the drug and resisted.

A source on condition of anonymity told The Daily Star that lack of transport for the office for use if and when necessary for state emergency, a spacious godown with night guard and lack of coordination between task force were bottlenecks for the department to discharge duty properly and effectively.