Coast Guard seized huge foreign liquor, cigarettes worth Tk 53.6 lakh in Patenga
Chattogram Bureau
The Bangladesh Coast Guard seized a massive cache of smuggled foreign liquor, beer, and cigarettes worth an estimated Tk 53.61 lakh during a late-night drive in the Patenga area of Chattogram.
Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon said this in a press release on Tuesday noon, stating that the operation was conducted by the Patenga Coast Guard Outpost based on a tip-off.
According to Coast Guard sources, a specialized team carried out the raid at around 2:00 AM on Tuesday in the vicinity of Charpara Ghat, adjacent to Patenga Police Station.
During a thorough sweep of the area, the team recovered 1,765 cans of foreign beer, 74 bottles of vodka, 88 bottles of whiskey, and 4,800 sticks of foreign cigarettes. Preliminary investigations revealed that the contraband items had been illegally unloaded from a commercial ship anchored nearby.
However, no arrests could be made during the operation as the smugglers managed to flee the scene under the cover of darkness after sensing the presence of the law enforcers.
Legal procedures regarding the seized narcotics and cigarettes have been taken.
The Coast Guard official reiterated that they will maintain strict vigilance and continue such operations to curb the spread of illegal drugs and smuggling across the country's maritime boundaries.
