Bangladesh Seizes 25,000 Kg of Illegal Poppy Seeds at Chittagong Port

Dhaka, Nov 6 (PTI) Bangladesh authorities have conducted a significant seizure involving two containers harboring nearly 25,000 kilograms of poppy seeds, a prohibited narcotic. These containers arrived from Pakistan, deceitfully labeled as bird food, as indicated in a Customs statement released Thursday.

The containers arrived at the Chittagong port on October 23 and were moved to the off-dock facility of Chhabar Ahmed Timber Company Limited for clearance. Chittagong Customs House Deputy Commissioner H M Kabir confirmed this development in a statement.

The newspaper Dhaka Tribune quoted Kabir, who stated, "Based on intelligence input, the customs authorities halted the clearance process and conducted a detailed examination, which confirmed the presence of poppy seeds."

Poppy seeds, in quantities totaling 24,960 kilograms, were seized by customs officials at Chittagong port, located about 250 kilometers southeast of Dhaka.

Initial import documents declared the shipment as comprising 32,100 kilograms of bird food from Pakistan. However, upon physical examination, officials discovered 24,960 kilograms of poppy seeds along with merely 7,200 kilograms of bird food.

The Audit, Investigation and Research (AIR) branch spearheaded the operation following sensitive information, according to customs sources.

Laboratory tests by Dhaka University’s Nanotechnology Centre, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet), and the Plant Quarantine Department confirmed the presence of poppy seeds.

Poppy seeds are listed as a class "A" narcotic and are strictly prohibited under the Import Policy Order 2021–2024. The consignment was seized according to provisions in the "Customs Act 2023" for illegal importation under false declarations.

The consignment’s declared value was Tk30 lakh, but the true market value is estimated at around Tk6.5 crore, according to customs officials.

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