Youth detained with illegal goods worth over Tk. 1 lakh

In Durgapur, Netrokona, the trade of consumer goods brought in through illegal channels often takes place discreetly. In one such instance, police conducted a raid on a residential house in the municipal town and seized a large quantity of cosmetics and food items, valued at Tk. 117,300.

The operation was carried out around 8:30 PM on Friday (October 30) in the Deshwali Para area, located in Ward 5 of the Durgapur Municipality. A young man named Priyam Saha has been detained in connection with the incident.

Priyam Saha is the son of Pradip Saha and Jhumur Saha, residents of the area. According to family members and local sources, the detained youth is a student. The discovery of such a large, commercial quantity of goods in a student's home has caused quite a stir among the local residents.

Police and local sources stated that, acting on a tip-off, officers from the Durgapur Police Station raided Priyam Saha’s residence in Deshwali Para on Friday night. During the search, a large stock of goods was recovered from a room on the northern side of the house.

The seized items include 500 kg of *phuchka* (crisp shells for *pani puri*), with an estimated market value of Tk. 50,000 (at Tk. 100 per kg). Also seized were 1,800 bars of 'Harmony' soap, valued at Tk. 36,000 (at Tk. 20 per bar). Additionally, police recovered 190 bottles (100 ml each) of olive oil, a product in high demand with the onset of winter, valued at Tk. 17,100 (at Tk. 90 per bottle), along with 40 bottles (300 ml each) of olive oil, valued at Tk. 9,200 (at Tk. 230 per bottle). Furthermore, 10 kg of cumin seeds (*jira*) were recovered, valued at Tk. 5,000 (at Tk. 500 per kg). The total estimated market value of the seized goods is Tk. 117,300.

Khandakar Shaker Ahmed, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Durgapur Police Station, has confirmed the incident. He stated that the items were seized during an operation conducted based on confidential information, and one individual involved has been taken into custody. The process of determining the origin of the seized items and initiating further legal action is currently underway.

-    ASR/NS