Teknaf Bangladesh: On July 23, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) seized  over 1,000 Burmese Yaba tablets from Moricha BDR checkpost  under the Ukhiya union of Cox’s Bazaar district while on the way to Cox’s Bazaar from Teknaf border town, according to our correspondent.  

Acting on a tip off, Nayab Sobedar Nurul Islam of Moricha check-post raided a Cox’s Bazaar bound passenger bus bearing Cox’s number 11-0137 and seized over 1000 Yaba tablets. But, the smuggler managed to flee after jumping from the car through the window.

A businessman from Maungdaw town said, “The main heroin smugglers are Burma’s border security force, or Sarapa (Military Intelligence) or army or police officers. They carried heroin or Yaba tablets from upper Burma through their agents from Shan State.

According to sources, Idris (40), son of Matu, hailed from Shwe Zarr village of Maungdaw Township, Md. Sha (35) from Shwe Zaar Zedi Pyin village, Shoffi (50), Ward No. 1 of Maungdaw Town are close Yaba tablets collaborators of Captain Aung Tun of Nasaka headquarters of Kawarbill of Maungdaw Township. For the Nasaka’s collaborators, some of the innocent villagers are also facing many problems. The Nasaka collaborators passed the Yaba tablets to Bangladesh from Burma through their agents.

Burma is a major source of Methamphetamine tablets known as Yaba tablets in Bangladesh market. The authorities of Bangladesh have seized Yaba tablets many times in Burma-Bangladesh border, but it is still coming to Bangladesh from Burma. Sometimes, a small quantity of Yaba tablets are seized by the concerned authorities, but they failed to catch a large cache, said a local trader from Teknaf.

There is “strong international criminal and financial networks control Bangladesh’s drug supply chain,” said a former adviser to the care taker government ASM Shapan.

Phensidyl, Opium, and marijuana to Bangladesh from India and heroin or Yaba tablets are being sent to Bangladesh from Burma.  So, Bangladesh has become a big market for narcotics from two neighboring countries, sources said.