Police seized 20,000 Yaba pills from the 'Dolonchapa' female hostel of Cox's Bazar Government College on Sunday night with raising serious concerns about drug trafficking within educational institutions. A third-year mathematics student, 22-year-old Sharifa Akter was detained in connection with the incident.
According to college authorities, Sharifa, a resident of Teknaf upazila left for home last Wednesday. The following day, a courier delivered a parcel addressed to her. At Sharifa's request another student received the package and placed it under her bed. The hostel matron later noticed the parcel during an inspection, grew suspicious, and notified the superintendent.
When Sharifa returned to the hostel, she was questioned by the administration, who subsequently called the national emergency helpline 999. Police arrived at the scene, opened the package and discovered the massive drug consignment. College Vice-Principal Professor Md. Ohidul Islam stated that during initial questioning, Sharifa claimed a relative had asked her to hold the parcel.
Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Mohammad Ali confirmed the detention and noting that preliminary information suggests the student may have been involved in similar activities in the past.
The successful delivery of such a large illicit consignment to a secure college dormitory has sparked immediate security concerns.
Police are currently conducting a thorough investigation to identify the sender, trace the source of the drugs and determine if an organized trafficking ring is operating behind the scenes. Appropriate legal action against the accused is underway.
