Two models remanded in separate drug cases

Two separate courts in Dhaka on Monday placed two female models on three-day remand each in two separate cases lodged under narcotics control act. The two accused are Faria Mahbub Piasa and Mariyam Akter Mou. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahidul Islam placed Piasa on three-day remand as police produced her before the court and pleaded to take her on 10-day remand in the case filed with Gulshan Police Station.

On the other hand, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Asheq Imam placed Mou on three-day remand as police produced her before the court and pleaded to place her on 10-day remand in the case lodged with Mohammadpur Police Station.

Earlier, Detective branch (DB) of police in simultaneous raids detained Piasa from her Baridhara flat and Mou from her Mohammadpur flat on Sunday night and recovered different narcotics from their houses. The two female models detained on charges of blackmailing people with objectionable photos.

Police conducted the raids acting on allegations of their involvement with a blackmailing gang. According to the police, Piasa and Mou used to lure the young people of high class society to their flats and supply them with different drugs. As the unsuspecting person loses his or her senses, Piasa, Mou and their gang members used to take their intimate photographs.

Later,  they used to blackmail the persons with the photographs and realize huge sums of money from them.

DMP Joint Commissioner (DB) Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, while addressing the press, said that the two models used to invite rich people and their children to different parties at night.  They used to take objectionable photos of them which were later used for blackmailing, the DMP joint commissioner said adding that foreign liquor, yaba pills, and shisha (flavoured tobacco) were seized from the houses of the models. 

He said: “The two will be interrogated over the blackmailing issue. Besides, two separate cases will be filled with Mohammadpur and Gulshan police stations against the duo for the seized drugs and liquor.”

However, Mou, while being taken into police custody, claimed to journalists that there were no drugs at her house.

She said: “I am being framed.”  Piasha, former wife of Apan Jewellers owner's son Shafat Ahmed, first came to the discussion after the sensational The Raintree Dhaka hotel rape incident. Shafat Ahmed was made accused of raping two female private university students at the Banani hotel in 2018. 

Her name resurfaced recently after the suicide of college student Mosarat Jahan Munia – girlfriend of Bashundhara Group Managing Director (MD) Sayem Sobhan Anvir – in a Gulshan residence.  Sayem was sued on charges of abetting the suicide of Munia. However, the Bashundhara MD was relieved from the charges in a controversial final report submitted by the police.

Piasha was found to be a family friend of the owner of the flat where Munia committed suicide earlier in April.  She was interrogated by the police over the incident.