Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) seized nearly 998 Yaba tablets from a passenger on his way to Cox’s Bazaar from Teknaf on March 30, at around 2 pm, said a source from Tekanf.

Acting on a tip off, a section of BDR personnel from Whykong check post found the Yaba tablets on a passenger, while checking people in the special bus.

The smuggler was identified as Md. Hussain (30), of Teknaf Nazir Para under Cox’s Bazaar district. After interrogation he was sent to Teknaf police station, said a local from Whykong.

Yaba tablets come to Bangladesh from Burma, even though BDR and other authorities have been trying to prevent inflow of narcotic drugs.  Burma is a major source of Methamphetamine tablets known as Yaba. Seizures are frequent on the Burma-Bangladesh border, but yet it is smuggled in from Burma.

On the other hand, on March 28, Bangladesh authorities seized drugs accounting for 269 bottles of liquor, 200 Yaba tablets, heroin 1.4 kg and Marijuana (ganja) 1.1 kg, worth around 30 million taka, according to sources.

Bangladesh is sandwiched between two countries, India and Burma, from which narcotic drugs come to Bangladesh, turning it into a big market, said a local elder from Teknaf.

“The main heroin smugglers are in fact Nasaka (Burma’s border security force), the Burmese Army, police and Sarapa (Military Intelligence) officers. They carry heroin or Yaba tablets from upper Burma, especially from Shan State,” a trader from Maungdaw town saidf