Yaba flowing in despite conflicts in Myanmar

There have been conflicts on the Myanmar side over the last two months with sounds of heavy gunfire and mortal shelling sending a wave of panic across the border into Bangladesh. But it has hardly created any impact on the yaba smuggling.

Anxieties have gripped people in the bordering areas of Cox's Bazar and Bandarban quite often as mortar shells even fell inside Bangladesh, but nothing could deter drug dealers in the coastal area from smuggling the pink pills from the neighbouring country.

Law enforcers claim Rohingyas are getting increasingly involved in the smuggling. They cross the border and bring in the crazy pills, which are then kept hidden in the refugee camps of Cox's Bazar, according to members of the police and intelligence agencies.

On Monday, the Armed Police Battalion (APBn-8) claimed to have arrested five Rohingyas with around 11,000 pieces of yaba from the Ukhiya camp area.

From January 1 to October 9, APBn-8 recovered around 15 lakh yaba pills and arrested around 400 people, mostly Rohingyas, for their involvement in the smuggling, Faruk Ahamed, assistant superintendent (operations and media) of the battalion, told The Daily Star.

"We have recovered around 65,000 pieces of yaba in August and around 40,000 in September and the majority of smugglers were Rohingya."

According to Sayed Harun Or Rashid, commanding officer of APBn-14, the unrest on the Myanmar side has hardly affected the yaba smuggling.

"We have recovered around 65,000 pieces of yaba in August and around 40,000 in September and the majority of smugglers were Rohingya," he said.

"Rohingyas smuggle the pills from Myanmar and preserve those in the camps."

In the latest strategy, the wholesale dealers sell yaba to retailers on credit but hold one or two of the retailers hostage. If payment is not made on time, they start torturing the hostages, he told this newspaper.

Representational image. File photo

The Rapid Action Battalion on August 27 arrested around five members of a Rohingya criminal gang led by one Nobi Hossain, and recovered around 4.10 lakh yaba from them.

Interrogating the arrestees, Rab officials came to know that Nobi's gang was selling yaba on credit after holding people hostage as security.

Official data show Rab has recovered around 89.74 lakh yaba pills and arrested around 2,098 drug traders in the first eight months of this year. Around 11.69 lakh yaba were recovered by the elite force in August alone.

In September, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered around 2.73 lakh yaba in five big drives in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban, according to sources.

From August 1 to October 15, Bangladesh Coast Guard recovered around 4.73 lakh yaba and arrested around 16 people.

Lieutenant Kazi Al Amin of Cox's Bazar Coast Guard said smugglers are adopting new techniques like moving on customised boats. "But we are on alert and taking action whenever we get any information," he added.

According to the yearly report of the Department of Narcotics Control, yaba is entering Bangladesh from Myanmar through 15 routes of Cox's Bazar and Bandarban. It is difficult to control smuggling through these remote border areas.

It added that yaba is produced in factories in Shan and Cochin provinces of Myanmar.

Lt Col Foyezur Rahman, director (operation) of BGB headquarters, said, "We always remain alert to any untoward situations in the border."