Brothers who learned shisha trade in Iran arrested as DNC makes record seizure in Dhaka: Officials

The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) arrested three alleged members of a drug trafficking ring today (3 July) with what it described as the largest seizure of shisha in the country's history.

The agency said two of the arrestees, who are brothers, learned about the shisha business while living in Iran and later operated the illegal trade online in Bangladesh.

The arrested brothers are Ahmed Sharifi, 34, and Mehdad Sharifi, 34. The other is Md Maksud Alam, 40.

DNC officials recovered 65.9kg of shisha, 41 hookahs, 40kg of charcoal used for smoking shisha, five mobile phones, and a large quantity of shisha-smoking equipment from their possession.

Speaking during a press conference at the agency's headquarters in Segunbagicha this morning, Mohammad Badruddin, additional director for intelligence at the DNC, said the DNC arrested the three, including the two brothers alleged to be the ringleaders of an inter-district online drug supply network, during coordinated special operations in the Gulshan and Bhatara areas of the capital.

Detailing the operations, he said intelligence indicated that a ring led by the two brothers has long been operating a Facebook page to sell and supply illegal shisha and related equipment online in Dhaka and across the country.

Officials also learned that two consignments ordered through the page would be sent to customers through local courier companies.

Acting on the information, a special DNC raiding team conducted its first operation in the Bashundhara area under Bhatara Police Station yesterday and seized a parcel containing 1kg of shisha sent under the name of the Facebook page.

Later that day, the team seized another parcel containing 1kg of shisha sent under the same page's name from Malibagh under Ramna Police Station.

After verifying the senders' addresses on the two parcels, the team raided a flat in Kalachandpur under Gulshan Police Station on the same day and arrested the two brothers at their rented residence.

Following extensive questioning and based on their statements, the team searched the flat and recovered another 45.9kg of shisha and 20 hookahs.

The brothers allegedly told investigators that a large portion of the shisha they supplied came from Maksud Alam, who lived in the Nur-er-Chala area under Bhatara Police Station.

Based on the information, the team raided a rented residence in Nur-er-Chala that night and arrested Maksud. A subsequent search recovered another 18kg of shisha and 21 hookahs.

Nationwide business through Facebook Badruddin said the two brothers are Bangladeshi citizens of Iranian ancestry and lived in Iran for an extended period.

While staying there, they gained experience in shisha business operations, market systems, and supply methods, he said. After returning to Bangladesh, they allegedly followed the same business model, established an online shisha sales network, and gradually expanded their operations to different districts.

They launched a Facebook page that was among the earliest pages selling shisha online in Bangladesh. Through Facebook, they allegedly communicated with customers, posted product photographs, received orders, set prices, and coordinated deliveries.

Once orders were confirmed, they used local courier services to send parcels to different parts of the country.

Payments collected through MFS accounts The DNC said the ring mainly received payments through different mobile financial services.

They allegedly collected money using multiple mobile financial accounts registered in the names of different people to conceal the sources of the transactions and the identities of the beneficiaries.

The agency is conducting digital forensic analyses to examine the financial transactions, related accounts, and movement of funds.

Large customer database recovered The DNC recovered an extensive client database from the seized mobile phones, digital devices, and online accounts.

The database contained information on numerous customers from Dhaka and other districts, alongside communication histories, order details, and transaction records.

Badruddin said investigators are analysing the information to identify regular customers, distributors, associates, and other members of the network.