15 gangs running LSD trade

Fourteen to fifteen gangs have been dealing in the hallucinogenic drug LSD in Bangladesh, police said.

"The groups smuggled in the drug through couriers and luggage mainly from European countries," Abdul Ahad, deputy commissioner of Motijheel Division Police, told a press conference last night.

He said they got the information after quizzing five private university students arrested from the capital's Khilgaon and Bhatara areas on Saturday with LSD blotting papers, a mobile phone and a laptop used for selling LSD.

The five arrestees are: Saiful Islam alias Saif, 20, SM Monwar Aqib alias Anan, 20, Nazmus Sakib, 20, Nazmul Islam, 24, and BM Sirajul Salekin alias Topu, 24.

On May 26, detectives arrested three university students in the capital's Dhanmondi and Lalmatia areas and seized 200 pieces of LSD blotting papers from their possession.

They are: Sadman Sakib Rupol, Ashaf Wadud Turjo, and Adib Ahsab.

A Dhaka court yesterday placed the trio on a five-day remand each.

Addressing a briefing at Paltan Police Station yesterday evening, DC Abdul Ahad said they arrested the five as part of law enforcers drives following the death of Dhaka University student Hafizur Rahman.

The law enforcers came to know about the drug while investigating the death of Hafizur, whose body was recovered days after he went missing. Primary investigation revealed that he had slit his own throat after taking LSD.

The DC said they first arrested Saif, Anan, and Sakib from near Khilgaon Community Centre and seized three LSD blotting papers from Saif's possession and one piece each from the other two.

After interrogating them, police launched separate drives in Bhatara area and arrested Nazmul and Topu. 

They seized four LSD blotting papers from Nazmul. Later, police raided the home of Nazmul's father-in-law in Mohakhali and seized four more papers, a mobile phone, a laptop, $100, and 1 gram of crystal meth (Ice).

Abdul Ahad said the five arrestees had been selling LSD and Ice in the capital after smuggling them in with the help of their cohorts.

Police yesterday filed a case against the five and their unidentified associates under the Narcotics Control Act with Khilgaon Police Station.

LSD is one of the major drugs in the hallucinogen class which was discovered in 1938. The substance is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot - a fungus that grows on rye and other grains.