The committee was scaled down to five members as Deputy Commissioner (port) Abdullahil Baki of Chittagong Metropolitan Police was excluded from the list of investigators in the wake of his controversial role in Friday's arms bust.

Witnesses said police helped smugglers unload the arms, an allegation law enforcers brushed aside.

The investigators visited Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited, where the firearms were offloaded from two trawlers off its jetty on the Karnaphuli coast under the cover of dark. They found the jetty unprotected and said lax security watch left scope for gunrunners to use it for smuggling.

Fertiliser factory officials, including its managing director, security and police personnel and other witnesses to the offloading of the haul gave statements to the team that worked until 7:30pm, sources said

Managing Director of adjoining Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Mohsinuddin Talukder, Chief Secu-rity Officer Zainal Abedin, Officer-in-Charge Ahadur Rahman of Karna-phuli Police Station and Sergeant Alauddin also gave statements.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Special Branch Shamsul Islam, Director of the Directorate of General Forces Intelligence Rezakul Haider Chowdhury, National Security Intelligence Director Enamur Rahman Chowdhury and Criminal Investigation Department DIG Farruk Ahmed Chowdhury are part of the investigating team.

Court yesterday sent to jail Saifuddin, a crew of FV Khazardan, one of the two seized vessels, and Feroz Ahmed, son of Zakir Ahmed, who owns FV Amanat.