Photo: Messenger
Investigations by law enforcement agencies have revealed that a Bangladeshi was also involved with a foreign gang in the biggest cocaine haul smuggling in the country's history. Law enforcement agencies are looking for him. RAB, police, and several intelligence agencies have conducted raids in and outside the capital to arrest him. But he has not been arrested so far.
According to sources in the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), the DNC has come to know about the financial network of international gangs involved in the investigation into the seizure of the country's largest shipment of cocaine. The money sent from Nigeria used to go through several hands before coming to Bangladesh. Later, the money would be converted from the local currency into cryptocurrency. The DNC is looking for a Bangladeshi member of this international drug ring, through whom the money used to be transferred.
According to sources, Don Frankie is a Nigerian citizen. He is the president of the Association of Nigerian Citizens in Bangladesh. He is the godfather of an international drug smuggling ring. He had frequent access to various clubs in Dhaka. He is known for splurging money in club, bar parties. Currently, he is not in the country.
Sources say that Don Frankie is the mastermind of the cocaine smuggling ring. Chidara is a student of microbiology department at BRAC University in Dhaka. Frankie, who is currently in Nigeria, used to hand over Nigerian Naira to Chidara's mother Carolina Okori and girlfriend Monica. Monica is a binance dealer. She would convert that currency into cryptocurrency and send it to Chidara's Binance wallet.
Chidara opened his Binance account while in Nigeria. Binance authorities suspended his account as he was in Bangladesh for a long time. Since then, money started coming into the wallet of a Bangladeshi member of the gang. The name of this member has been identified by the DNC. Frankie used to send a list of who should be paid how much to Oscar from Nigeria. Oskar used to give that list to Chidara. Chidara would then give the list to the Bangladeshi now wanted by the DNC.
Sources say that a Bangladeshi is involved with the gang who would coordinate the whole process. Earlier, the gang was also involved in cocaine smuggling. His name was not mentioned for the sake of investigation. Officials of DNC are also trying to arrest him.
Nomthandajo Towera Soko, a citizen of Malawi, was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on January 24 with 8.3kg cocaine. This is the largest shipment of cocaine ever seized in the country with a market value of Tk 100 crore.
Eight people have been arrested so far in this incident. Six of them have given confessional statements in court. Progress has also been made in the case investigation. Financial networks have been revealed.
According to sources involved in the investigation, Don Frankie and his brother Don Weasley run the cocaine business. Weasley is currently in India. India was the primary destination of cocaine via Bangladesh. From there, it went to countries in Europe and America.
Additional Director General of DNC Tanveer Mumtaz said that all those arrested are close to Frankie and they want to spread cocaine in Bangladesh. “Some of the money from smuggling stays in Bangladesh, and some goes out. We have already started an investigation into money laundering.”
He said Bangladesh is a big market. “As a result, we can catch one or two portions of cocaine. There is a great demand for this cocaine among the upper class. And its price is very high.
But there is no one to eat or keep 8.5kg cocaine in Bangladesh. As a result, we think that the destination of this cocaine was India and from there to a country in Europe and America.”
He also said that the information that Frankie's drug gang smuggled cocaine into Europe-America through Bangladesh also came out during the investigation.
Messenger/Disha
