October 9, 2019. Anwarpur village, Akhaura.

The two correspondents went to the house of Abu Rayhan, near Hirapur High School, posing as Phensedyl users.

Rayhan agreed to sell them Phensedyl but on one condition: “You have to drink it in front of me and hand me the empty bottle.” 

He took the caps off the bottles using a special tool without breaking the seals. When he got distracted looking around to see if anyone was watching, these correspondents managed to pour the liquid on the ground.

“You are lucky as you got pure Phensedyl. Most of the time, these bottles are filled with a mixture of Indian cough medicine Eskuf, sugar syrup and energy drink,” he said.

Rayhan earlier worked as an associate of drug dealers Kaptan Mia and Kajol. Police arrested Kaptan on October 5 while Kajol surrendered on October 14, according to law enforcement sources.

Rayhan too was arrested by police earlier that year but got bail within a month.

He and a dozen other dealers, backed by local political leaders, are now active in Anwarpur, Chanpurand Chhoto Kuripaika -- three villages in Akhaura, bordering India.

They are adopting new strategies of drug trade and smuggling. They fill the bottle with a cocktail of Indian cough medicine Eskuf, sugar syrup and a few drops of an energy drink to sell it as Phensedyl.

That’s why empty plastic bottle of contraband Phensedyl is sold at around Tk 100 in villages of Akhaura and Brahmanbaria. The condition is that it has to be unscratched and the seal of the cap cannot be broken.

While an intact bottle of real Phensedyl costs Tk 1,200 in the border area, this counterfeit one is available at Tk 800.

Eskuf, which is banned in India, also has popularity among junkies in the district. It sells at about Tk 500.

“Once I was fishing with a net in a pond that I took on lease. I found hundreds of Phensedyl bottles filled with water, but seals of the caps were intact,” said Kazi Anwar Hossain, a fish trader of Taragan village.

Md Alamgir, a scrap trader in Narayanpur intersection of Akhaura, said he was doing the business for 20 years. Even a year back, he used to sell 60 bags full of empty Phensedyl bottles every month but now he hardly gets one or two bags.

‘RED SIGNAL’

Around 3:00pm on October 8. Chanpur village.

The Star correspondents saw a youth walking on the zero line though it is prohibited. Interestingly, he was wearing a red gamchha (towel) over his jeans.

Noticing onlookers, he just threw a small plastic sack into a dense bush nearby and started walking away.

A local source, who was accompanying the correspondents, called out to him, “We are not from the administration; we are here to buy Eskuf.”

The youth in gamchha then turned around.

Coming closer, he said he could arrange some but the cost will be Tk 500 per bottle.

But why he was wearing a gamchha over the jeans?

In reply, he said it is a signal for their counterparts in India that the border is clear now and they can throw the narcotics to this side.

About the payment, he said most of the time they hurl the bundles of money across the border fence. “We often send Bangladeshi taka but sometimes we pay in US dollar if there is a big consignment.”

According to the database, police recovered 7,813 bottles of Phensedyl and 5,637 bottles of Eskuf in the district in 2018.

In the first nine months of last year, the district police recovered 3,073 bottles of Eskuf and 2,136 bottles of Phensedyl.

During this period, a total of 1363 cases were filed for narcotics charges and police arrested 2,119 people for drugs smuggling and selling.

In 2018, the figure of arrest was 2,051, and around 1,577 cases were filed on narcotics charges, reads the database.

About the use of Phensedyl and Eskuf, Prof Mujibur Rahman of the medicine department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said if anyone continuously takes cough syrup without prescription, he would become addicted to it.

“The person will gradually lose the ability to lead a regular life,” Prof Mujibur told The Daily Star on Wednesday.

HOUSES ON ZERO LINE

Around 5:00pm. October 9. Bautola, a bordering village in Akhaura.  

A police informant source took these correspondents to the village from near Akhaura land port on a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.

Near the border, he pointed to some houses built on the Indian side’s zero line, and said a number of Indian nationals have built those to bring and keep narcotics, including Phensedyl and Eskuf. 

The smugglers then sneak the contraband items into Bangladesh when they find lax vigilance on the border.

Md Hanif Mia is one of those Indians who have a house on zero line in Bautola area of Akhaura. He is known to be involved with the narco syndicates.

Talking to The Daily Star later in late November, Rasul Ahmed Nizami, OC of Akhaura Police Station, said narco traders and carriers often take shelter in the houses built on the zero line.

Police have nothing to do about it as they are not allowed to go there, he added. 

In late October, Lt Col Gulam Kabir, commanding officer of Border Guard Battalion 25, said those houses were built on the Indian side, and they have no authority to visit there.

“But we are expressing our concern to Indian Border Security Force and working to improve the situation.”

He added, “We are trying our best and keeping our vigilance in the bordering area. The situation is improving.”

PATRONS?

In the police list, Abdul Hannan Swapan, chairman of Akhaura North Union Parishad, is a social worker playing a major role in the surrender of drug dealers.

But narco sources claimed that he is one of those running the illegal business. His nephew Saddam Bhuyan was arrested on October 25 from Azampur area of Akhaura over drug smuggling.

He is operating a gang of 100 people to control the trade, claimed the sources.

Swapan, however, refused to comment on this allegation. He asked these correspondents to talk to local law enforcers and visit the area.

Sources also claimed Swapan is backed by his uncle Abul Kashem Bhuyan, chairman of Akhaura upazila.

Contacted, Kashem admitted that some of his family members are involved in narcotics business.

“There are some narcotics traders in Akharua upazila, including my brother’s son Kajal Bhuiyan. But we have already taken steps to make them surrender to police,” he told The Daily Star in November.

Asked about Swapan, he said it’s the political rivals who are bringing false allegation against Swapan. “Even a section of people are spreading negative propaganda against me to tarnish my image.

OC Nizami said he doesn’t know what Swapan used to do earlier but now police have nothing against him.

Kashem also doesn’t have any criminal record as per police file and he is helping arrange the surrender of drug dealers, said the OC.

Around 50 to 60 narcotics traders of Akhaura have already communicated with police for surrender and officials are now working to arrange the programme soon, added Nizami.

In November, Md Alamgir Hossain, additional superintendent of police, said a major challenge in combatting narcotics trade in the district is the accused walk out of jail on bail months after they are arrested.

They get involved in the trade again and again but police are aware of the issue and working to solve it, he said.

Asked about political leaders’ involvement, he said none will be spared, no matter what’s the identity.

The Daily Star called OC Nizami again on Thursday to get the updates. 

“The situation is better now as we are taking stern action regarding narcotics trade, no matter who is involved in the business,” he said, adding that police registered around 29 drug cases in December.

Asked about the allegations against local public representatives, he said they are taking action on the basis of police intelligence list. “If anyone’s name is not on the list, how would we take action?”