Cox's Bazar, Aug 07 (V7N)- Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the government will prepare a list of the country's top drug traffickers without hesitation as part of a broader campaign to curb narcotics smuggling.
He made the remarks after a meeting on drug prevention and law and order at the Hill Down Circuit House in Cox's Bazar on Thursday night.
The Home Minister said the proposed list would include individuals identified as major drug traffickers and smugglers. A task force committee has been assigned to prepare the list, and further action will be taken based on its findings.
He said the government has also taken several additional decisions to strengthen anti-drug operations. Camps will be established along known drug trafficking routes, with joint forces and other law enforcement agencies deployed to monitor those areas.
Salahuddin Ahmed added that patrols by the Bangladesh Navy and the Bangladesh Coast Guard will be strengthened to prevent the smuggling of narcotics through riverine and maritime routes, as well as across land borders.
The minister also noted that many of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras previously installed in the Rohingya camps are no longer functional. He said initiatives will be taken to repair or reinstall the surveillance system and identify individuals involved in drug trafficking, particularly the smuggling and transportation of Yaba, within the camps.
He further said that amendments to the relevant law include provisions for establishing dog squads, equipping officers of the Department of Narcotics Control with firearms, and providing operational training for officers at the sub-inspector level.
In addition, the amended law provides for the establishment of drug identification and testing laboratories in every district of the country.
The Home Minister emphasized that the government's priority is now to implement these decisions effectively to strengthen the country's anti-narcotics efforts.
END/SMA/AJ
