Drug Sales Continue Unchecked in Geneva Camp, Mohammadpur

Bangla Press Desk:   Drugs are being sold openly in and around Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, with traffickers allegedly operating in broad daylight and offering narcotics to passers-by without hesitation.

The crossroads located beyond Mohammadpur Government High School, accessible through the eastern side of Geneva Camp, presents a stark picture of the thriving illicit trade. During a visit to the area at around 1:00pm on Wednesday, this correspondent was approached by a young man who asked, “Brother, do you want red?” When asked what he meant, he replied, “Yaba.”

Despite receiving no encouragement, the man repeatedly offered the drug. When interest was feigned in purchasing cannabis, he pointed towards a group of young men standing nearby.

About 15 steps further along the road, a group of 12 to 15 young men surrounded this correspondent. Several were carrying tablet-like substances wrapped in small plastic zip-lock bags, which they identified as yaba.

Some even offered to open the packets so their contents could be smelled. They enthusiastically described the quality of their products and encouraged a purchase.

According to the dealers, yaba sells for Tk250 per pill, while a packet of cannabis costs Tk50.

One dealer, identifying himself as “Chika”, claimed to have heroin available. When asked whether he sold the drug, he replied: “You’re standing in a heroin warehouse. How many kilograms do you need?”

He said a heroin packet costs Tk200.

In addition to yaba, cannabis and heroin, Chika claimed that locally produced liquor was also available in the camp.

According to him, locally brewed alcohol is sold at Tk1,500 per litre, and customers can arrange to consume it inside the camp.

During the visit, numerous individuals were seen arriving and purchasing drugs according to their requirements. Transactions typically took only a few seconds to complete.

A significant number of customers appeared to be rickshaw pullers.

As this correspondent was leaving the area, a man identifying himself as Nadim issued a warning: “Come here if you want drugs. If you come for any other reason, you’ll get mugged.”

Only a short distance away, several more dealers again offered cannabis for sale. Another approached and offered yaba, claiming: “It’s powerful. Just one pill and you'll be flying.”

At that location alone, around 12 to 15 individuals were openly selling drugs.

Moving further north, similar scenes were observed at several additional locations. Most of those involved in the trade appeared to be teenagers or young adults.In total, at least 50 drug dealers were seen operating along the road.

At one point, two police vehicles and a motorcycle were spotted nearby, although no police officers were visible.

Walking along the northern side of Geneva Camp revealed another seven to eight dealers actively approaching people and offering narcotics. Similar activities were also observed inside the market on the camp’s eastern side.

Further inside Geneva Camp, dealers selling yaba and heroin were found along roads running from west to east.

Overall, an estimated 70 drug dealers were observed operating around and within the camp. Despite touring the surrounding roads extensively, no police officers were seen on patrol.

Residents living near Geneva Camp say they have become increasingly frustrated by the rampant drug trade and associated criminal activity.

They allege that muggings and violent clashes occur regularly in the area. Despite informing the police, they claim they have received little relief from the activities of drug traffickers.

Many local residents declined to speak publicly to the media due to fear of reprisals.

When asked about police efforts to tackle the drug trade, Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mesbah Uddin questioned when the visit had taken place.

After being informed that it occurred at 1:00pm on Wednesday, he said: “Seven checkpoints are set up around Geneva Camp from 4:00pm onwards. There may not have been police officers there at that time. We are trying.”

However, visits to the area at different times on multiple days revealed a similar situation.

Expert calls for special operations

Dr Touhidul Haque, Associate Professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at the University of Dhaka and a specialist in crime and society, said the criminal network centred around Geneva Camp had developed over many years.“The ecosystem of crime, including drug trafficking, that has emerged around Geneva Camp was not created overnight,” he said.

“There are many beneficiaries of these criminal activities, and they must also be brought to justice.”

He argued that many of the operations conducted in the area appear largely symbolic and that local police alone are incapable of eliminating crime from the camp.

“Specialised units must conduct operations. The media should not even be informed beforehand,” he said.

Dr Haque also stressed the need to address the long-standing uncertainty surrounding the future status of Geneva Camp and its residents.

“We remain in a state of limbo regarding the state's decision about the camp and its inhabitants. That issue must also be resolved,” he said.

“When people are deprived of human rights or basic citizenship rights, they are often driven towards illegal activities as a means of survival.”

Source: Kaler Kantho