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Investigators said the smuggling operation in Bangladesh is structured in three segments. Drugs are first transported from Delhi to Bangladesh, where a team communicates with counterparts in Delhi and receives the shipment, keeping a portion for local distribution.

The rest is sent abroad via courier companies, coordinated by a separate group responsible for communication and payment for consignments destined for Italy and Spain. Each courier shipment reportedly earns the operatives around Tk 60,000 for transport.

The syndicate allegedly takes advantage of the relative lack of detection technology in Bangladesh compared to India, where ketamine is more common and local authorities are better equipped to identify such shipments. Investigators suspect five to six consignments have already been smuggled this way.

During the initial investigation, DNC officials arrested two members of the syndicate, Masudur Rahman Zilani, 28, and Arifur Rahman, 43. The two had been supplying ketamine to Dhaka’s affluent neighbourhoods, including Gulshan and Banani. Two Android phones and a basic mobile phone used for coordinating shipments were also recovered.

Mehedi Hasan, deputy director of the DNC, said, “We are investigating the case with priority. We have the names of three to four other syndicate members and are conducting drives to arrest them.”

Regarding the transnational operation, he said, “The syndicate definitely has someone to receive the narcotics consignments. We are investigating to get the details.”

According to DNC officials, traffickers rely heavily on courier services for international shipments, with packages booked and paid for in advance, while an additional group manages communication with overseas recipients.

DNC Director General Hasan Maruf highlighted the dangers of ketamine abuse. “Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic, historically used to induce unconsciousness in medical procedures,” he said.

“It is increasingly misused recreationally, especially at parties. Short-term effects include confusion, hallucinations, and physical complications. Long-term abuse can severely damage kidneys and the bladder, and affect mental health. Increasing tolerance often leads users to consume higher doses, which is life-threatening.”

“Continuous monitoring and intelligence-led operations are crucial to intercept these consignments and prevent abuse among young people,” he added.

Ketamine has been banned in Bangladesh since March 2014, but addicts in European countries use it as an alternative to heroin and cocaine.

On October 24, 2017, Rapid Action Battalion seized 34 white towels, also destined for Spain via a courier service, and arrested three people who admitted they received Tk 2 lakh for each towel once the delivery was successful.