Dbarta24 Report — Officers from the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) have arrested a professional chemist in Dhaka’s Badda area for allegedly selling liquid Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—a concentrated cannabis derivative—under the guise of aromatic oils on the major e-commerce platform Daraz.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Mohammad Anisur Rahman, is alleged to have sold over 405 bottles of liquid THC over a five-year period using online listings.
The DNC uncovered the operation through a covert sting. Undercover agents purchased product samples online, which laboratory tests confirmed contained high concentrations of THC.
Investigators then placed a follow-up order for three additional bottles, intercepting the package on August 16 via a regular e-commerce delivery driver.
The delivery worker, identified as 20-year-old Md. Nayeem, collected the parcel from a four-story residential building in East Podordia, Badda.
Although agents seized 60 ml of liquid THC from the package, the courier was released after investigators verified he had no knowledge of the illicit contents.
Following the courier’s lead, DNC operatives raided a fourth-floor apartment in the building, arresting Anisur Rahman.
Officers seized 620 ml of liquid THC with an estimated street value of Tk 60 lakh, alongside 50 glass packaging bottles, e-commerce branded shipping bags, processing equipment, computers, and mobile devices.
According to DNC investigators, the illicit liquid was marketed on e-commerce storefronts under misleading titles such as “CBD Oil” or “Aromatic Oil.”
The investigation subsequently expanded to secondary locations in Rampura and Ramna. At the main Daraz hub office in Rampura, DNC officials questioned Hub Supervisor Md. Syed Irfan (31) and Senior Security Officer Md. Belal Hossain (53), seizing operational logistics logs detailing the seller’s account and shipping history.
Formal charges were filed Monday at the Badda Police Station. The case names primary suspect Anisur Rahman alongside the Managing Director of Daraz Bangladesh for facilitating the sale of controlled substances without verification.
DNC Director General Hasan Maruf emphasized that operating an online platform does not exempt businesses from regulatory compliance, warning that electronic marketplaces face active surveillance for illicit activity.
Preliminary inquiries reveal that Rahman, a chemistry graduate who previously worked in Japan, initially operated a legitimate handmade soap enterprise upon returning to Bangladesh before shifting to narcotics manufacturing.
The raw concentrated cannabis was reportedly smuggled into Bangladesh via border routes from India before being processed, bottled, and distributed online.