Staff Correspondent

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police has launched an investigation into the financial activities and assets of 406 drug traffickers and their alleged patrons who have long been involved in the drug trade in Dhaka.

The investigation was initiated by the CID’s Money Laundering Unit following a directive from the Police Headquarters.

As part of the investigation, information is being collected on the movable and immovable assets, bank accounts and financial transactions of the listed individuals and their relatives. The CID has sent letters to several government agencies seeking relevant information.

According to CID sources, letters have been sent to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) seeking information on bank transactions, while sub-registry offices and relevant police stations have been asked to provide details of land and other assets. The Election Commission has also been requested to provide the national identity card information of the accused.

CID chief Additional Inspector General Barrister Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain said many people were accumulating substantial wealth rapidly through the drug trade.

“Investigating the sources of illicit wealth acquired through drug trafficking and examining money laundering are important responsibilities of the CID,” he said.

Those included on the CID’s investigation list face multiple drug-related cases. Many have more than 10 cases each, while some face between 20 and 47 cases. The list also includes female drug traffickers.

A review of the list shows that Raju Ahmed of Bhatara faces the highest number of cases, with 47. Md. Rupchan of Bhashantek has 43 cases, while Md. Sohel of Shahjahanpur faces 27. Khaled Mia of Khilgaon has 21 cases and Md. Lalon of Mugda has 22.

CID sources said most of the listed individuals operate drug networks centred in Dhaka. Information on cases filed against them at different police stations is being collected and verified. Several police stations have already responded to CID requests with relevant information.

The list includes alleged drug traffickers from various areas of the capital, including Kamrangirchar, Kotwali, Chawkbazar, Lalbagh, Hazaribagh, Mugda, Sabujbagh, Khilgaon, Bhatara, Mirpur, Badda and Mohammadpur.

Officials said the drug trade is closely linked to the flow of illicit money and money laundering. Therefore, alongside drug seizures and filing cases, authorities are placing greater emphasis on identifying the sources of wealth generated through drug trafficking.

According to Police Headquarters data, 6,383 cases were filed nationwide in July over drug-related offences. During the same month, a total of 17,911 cases were filed for all types of crimes, meaning drug-related cases accounted for about 35.63% of all cases.

In July 2025, 4,658 drug-related cases were filed, while the total number of cases involving all types of crimes stood at 15,389.

According to the Department of Narcotics Control, the agency seized large quantities of yaba, heroin, cocaine, opium, cannabis and phensedyl between 2009 and May 2026.

CID officials said identifying the financial foundations of the drug trade and taking action against illicit assets could help weaken drug networks.

They added that further legal action would be taken after the information gathered during the investigation is verified.