HC seeks list of country's top drug dealers

The High Court on Sunday directed the Department of Narcotics Control to submit the list of the top drug dealers of the country, including their names and addresses within one month after receiving the HC order.
The High Court (HC) also ordered the authorities concerned to conduct an inquiry into the complaints related to money laundering through the drug dealers that comes in the news reports published in the media, including various national newspapers. The HC asked them to submit a compliance report in the court in two months.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police, Bangladesh Financial Intelligent Unit (BFIU), National Board of Revenue (NBR), and the Department of the Narcotics have been asked to conduct the inquiry.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Supreme Court Lawyer Subir Nandi Das regarding the issue.
The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal action against the persons and organisations who accumulated money from drug dealing and thereafter laundered unlawfully violating the existing provisions and laws of Bangladesh.
It also wanted to know in the rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to conduct an inquiry into the allegation related to money laundering through the drug dealers that come in the news reports published in the media.
Earlier on June 13, Subir Nandi Das submitted the petition annexing some newspaper report.
According to a report, "A total of 481 million US dollars are moved out of the country every year due to drugs, which is equivalent to Tk 51.47 billion. Moreover, Bangladesh ranks fifth in the world in money laundering by buying and selling drugs. And, it is top among the Asian countries."

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