The arrested woman has been identified as Sara Khtun, age 30, who hails from Ward No. 2 of Maungdaw town.

After arrest, she was brought to Maungdaw Police Station where she remains detained in police custody. Officers did not obtain any narcotic drugs from her. However, she was severely beaten in order to coerce her to give a confessional statement.

A local from Maungdaw Township said, “Police have a list of some people, and tried to convince Sara that those listed men are involved in smuggling of Yaba tablets (methamphetamines). The authorities will arrest innocent people and extort money from them.”

“Some local people from Maungdaw town were forced by authorities to sell Yaba tablets to Bangladesh. So, some local people have been compelled to be involved in Yaba tablet smuggling,” said another local elder who declined to be named.

Those who are involved in narcotic drug smuggling are mostly the collaborators of Nasaka, the police, and the National Security Agency (former Military Intelligence, or Sarapa).

“Until and unless the concerned authorities who are involved in narcotic drug smuggling are arrested, the flow of Yaba tablets to Bangladesh will continue.”