DHAKA: Members of Rapid Action Battalion in a raid seized huge amounts of illegally imported cigarettes and cans of beer and alcohol from Fu Wang Club at the capital’s Tejgaon area early Thursday (Sep 26).

The elite force also arrested three staff, including two salespersons, during the drive from the club on charge of selling alcohol beyond the permissible limit of the licence around 2pm, Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, senior assistant director (media wing) of Rab, told Banglanews.

Rab, however, called on the Department of Narcotic Control to check whether the amount of the recovered alcohol beyond the permissible limit of the licence.

They conducted the raid as part of the ongoing crackdown against casinos and clubs by law enforcers, he added.

Later, RAB's director (media) Lieutenant Colonel Sarwar Bin Kashem, at a press conference, said about 10,000 cans of foreign beer, 2,000 bottles of foreign liquor and a large amount of illegal cigarettes were seized from the club.

Most of these are beyond the permissible limit of the licence. Usually certain brands of liquor have the approval for the club. Seized alcohol is not on that list, he added.

The RAB director said that the owner of the Fu-Wang club is Sheikh Monirul Islam. He was not found during the raid.  Drive is underway to arrest him too.

The detainees were Zahid, cashier of the club, salespersons Jerry DeCosta and Chanchal.

BDST: 1423 HRS, SEP 26, 2019
RS