MOHAMMAD JAMIL KHAN

A transnational narcotics syndicate has been using Bangladesh as a transit point to smuggle ketamine from Delhi to Europe.

The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) made a breakthrough after seizing 6.49kg of ketamine worth Tk 60 crore, hidden inside white towels, from the Tongi area on Saturday. The consignment was scheduled to be sent to Italy and Spain via a courier service.

The ketamine was soaked into white towels and then carefully folded and packed to appear ordinary, making them difficult to detect by standard scanning machines.

“These traffickers exploit gaps in detection technology and use everyday items like towels to disguise large quantities of drugs,” said a senior DNC official.

The consignment raised suspicion when DNC officers noticed that seven towels in a courier package weighed over eight kilogrammes, far exceeding the standard maximum of 400 grams per towel. Upon opening the package, officers discovered the concealed ketamine, the official added.

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