Highlights:

• The suspect arrived in Dhaka from Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight
• Passport, phone and boarding card seized
• Case filed under Narcotics Control Act

An Indian national has been arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after officials recovered 11.8 kilograms of cannabis concealed in his luggage, the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) said today (25 July).

The arrested, Md Zulfikar Molla, 33, is a resident of Rajarhat in India's North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. He arrived in Dhaka on Thai Airways flight TG321 from Bangkok, according to a DNC press release.

Acting on tip-off, a special DNC team led by Inspector Shahria Sharmin of the DNC Dhaka Metro (North) Airport Circle intercepted him at around 1:30pm at the green channel of the airport's arrival hall.

A search of his trolley bag, conducted in the presence of witnesses and airport authorities, uncovered 11.8kg of cannabis concealed beneath clothing in 21 polythene packets.

Officials also seized Molla's Indian passport, boarding card and an Oppo smartphone containing an Indian Jio SIM card.

A case has been filed against him under the Narcotics Control Act, 2018, with Inspector Shahria Sharmin named as the complainant at Airport Police Station.

During preliminary interrogation, Molla told investigators that he had planned to stay in Bangladesh for two to three days before returning to India, the DNC said.

The anti-narcotics agency said it would continue intelligence-led surveillance and special operations across the country to curb drug trafficking.