The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) yesterday afternoon arrested Mahbubur Rahman Joinal, country's biggest suspected peddler of yaaba tablets, and his mistress Yaaba Queen Jannatul Ferdous Nikita when they appeared before the court to surrender, sources said.

Besides being involved in yaaba trading, Hotel Purbani Managing Director (MD) Joinal and ramp model Nikita are also the suspected members of an international ring involved in smuggling precious diamond, gold, white gold and foreign currencies.

As the court did not grant their delayed surrender the RAB members arrested them.

According to eyewitnesses, the law-enforcers dragged away Nikita from the court premises in old Dhaka when she appeared there to surrender.

Talking to The New Nation, RAB-3 operation officer ASP Mahfuzur Rahman said Joinal and Nikita were taken under RAB-3 custody last night.

He, however, denied reports that they had arrested Joinal and Nikita before their surrender to the court.

Another RAB-3 official told The New Nation that the court handed over Joinal to RAB when he went to surrender before the court and Nikita was arrested earlier from the city.

The name of Joinal appeared in the headlines of the media following the recovery of an enormous amount of diamond, gold, white gold, and foreign liquor, along with share certificates, bond and credit cards worth about Tk 30 crore and firearms from his Dhanmondi residence on October 30 by RAB.

The RAB drive followed the confession of Amin Huda, who was arrested earlier with yaaba tablets worth Tk 15 crore.

RAB had conducted raids at Joinal's Dhanmondi residence to arrest him and his mistress Nikita.

Although they had managed to escape, RAB unearthed a treasure-trove.

Earlier, RAB had arrested Nikita's sister Pushpita along with her husband MNH Bulu. As no link to yaaba trading and jewel smuggling ring were found, they were released, RAB said.

At least 20 persons were so far arrested by the RAB in connection with the biggest ever haul of yaaba tablets.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs Sunday decided that Speedy Trial Tribunal (STT) will try cases related to Yaba tablet and Molam Party.

Talking to reporters after a meeting of the Home Ministry monitoring cell that deals with sensational cases, Home Secretary Abdul Karim said the meeting decided that STT will try cases concerning Yaba tablet and the Molam Party.

"Police will propose to try those cases under STT and we will take necessary steps," he said.

Chaired by the Home Secretary, the meeting reviewed progress of investigations in 10 sensational cases, including the killings of North South University teacher Dewan Rahat Karim Mukul, retired headmaster Loakman Ahmed of Chandpur district, Public Prosecutor Adv Hossain of Jhalukathi, grenade attacks on Sylhet Mayor Badar Uddin Kamran and on Awami League leader Surunjit Sen Gupta in Sunamganj and Journalist Belal Hossain in Satkhira.

The meeting decided to enlist two new cases of killing of Monir Hossain Khan and singer Nasir Sraban in Khilgaon.