Despite special drives to curb various crimes including drugs in the capital, the drug trade is not being stopped. The police are arresting an average of more than 500 people every day.

Despite increased patrols and intelligence surveillance, various types of drugs, including yaba and heroin, are being sold openly in various areas. According to the police, more than 15,000 people have been arrested on various charges in the last month. A significant number of those arrested are drug dealers.

According to DMP headquarters sources, 542 people were arrested in raids in different areas of the capital in the 24 hours till Friday morning. Of them, 22 were in Ramna division, 28 in Lalbagh, 60 in Wari, 52 in Motijheel, 91 in Tejgaon, 193 in Mirpur, 41 in Gulshan, 42 in Uttara division, 12 in the Detective Branch and one in the CTTC. During this time, 51 cases were filed.

DMP's Media and Public Relations Department Deputy Police Commissioner Md. Akter Hossain said that 3,291 yaba pills, 45 kg 490 grams of marijuana, a shotgun and various equipment were recovered in the operation.

According to information from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), there are more than four hundred top drug dealers in the capital. They control the drug trade in different areas. Efforts are being made to list and arrest them.

At least 35 people, including top drug trafficker Md. Dildar and his associate Shakir, are accused of bringing drugs from the border and selling them in Dhaka. There are also allegations about drug trafficking centered around the Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur.

Local sources said that drugs are being sold openly at at least 12 spots, including Humayun Road in the camp. There are over 400 such drug selling spots in different areas of the DMP.

On the spot, over the past few days, drug sales have been seen openly in Karwan Bazar Railgate, Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, Moghbazar Railgate, Pallabi, Khilgaon and some areas of North Badda. On Tuesday night, some teenagers were seen walking around with bags of drugs in the Karwan Bazar Railgate area. In addition to selling Yaba to buyers, they were seen sitting next to the railgate and selling various other drugs.

In the Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, scenes of selling various drugs including Yaba and heroin were also seen on Wednesday and Thursday nights. People were also seen queuing up to buy drugs in some places. However, there are multiple police check posts around the camp and joint forces conduct regular raids.

Police claim that a large portion of the people in the camp have been directly or indirectly involved in drugs for a long time. Local residents say that drug dealers have taken advantage of poverty and unemployment to expand their business there.

In this regard, DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed has ordered a strict campaign to control drugs in the capital with a 'zero tolerance' policy. He has also ordered that no one involved in drugs should be given any political or social exemption.