The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-3) yesterday took Purbani Hotel International MD Mahbubur Rahman Joinal, a suspected member of the international ring involved in smuggling of precious diamond and gold, on a fresh three-day remand.

Meanwhile his mistress alleged Yaaba Queen Jannatul Ferdous Nikita, along with family members, is also being quizzed by the RAB.

Nikita, her parents and brother were taken on a three-day remand in connection with the peddling of contraband dangerous drugs yaaba tablets.

Joinal, who was arrested as part of the anti-drug drive and accused in four cases, was remanded yesterday in a narcotics case as 165 bottles of illegal foreign liquor were recovered from his Dhanmondi residence.

He was taken on the fresh remand at the end of his three-day remand in an arms case filed with Mohammadpur thana.

Shahidul Islam, deputy director (DD) of RAB-3, told The New Nation, "Joinal has been taken on a three-day remand with the view to unearth his links."

Mohammadpur thana SI Abdul Bari produced Joinal before the court and RAB-3 sub-inspector Osikur Rahim Siddique appealed for seven-day remand but the court granted three days. Joinal's lawyers, however, had opposed the remand appeal and demanded his bail.

RAB-3 members arrested Joinal and Nikita on November 3 when they went to court to surrender. Before their arrest, a treasure-trove was found at Joinal's residence from where precious diamond, gold, white gold, foreign currencies, liquor and various other valuables were recovered on October 30.

Moreover, at least 50 people were arrested in the last three weeks in connection with peddling or possessing yaaba tablets.

The dealers and peddlers were making fortune until RAB arrested six youths of rich families in Gulshan on October 18 along with two luxurious BMW and Porsche cars used in transporting yaaba across the country.

Soon RAB unearthed a clandestine yaaba factory at Gulshan and arrested Amin Huda, nephew of business tycoon Aziz Mohammad Bhai, and his accomplice Ahsanul Haque Hasan. Five kgs of yaaba tablets and variety of stimulants were seized from the factory.