Maungdaw: The border police arrested a person trafficking Yaba tablets on Friday in Maungdaw and seized 1400 Yaba tablets and Kyat 9 lakh in cash from him during a raid, according to a police official.

The police team led by inspector Aung Myint Kyi and Shwe Zan seized the Yaba tablets from the smuggler during a raid at ward No 2 in Maungdaw. Later, the police arrested five others, suspecting them of being involved in the smuggling of Yaba, the official said.

However, the police released the five people as they were found to be innocent after interrogation.

"Currently, only one smuggler is being detained in the police lockup for interrogation. He is ready to disclose another network of smuggling in Yaba tablets in the area," the police official said.

The Yaba trafficker has been identified as Shaw Bi, son of Tasin Marli, from ward No 2 in Maungdaw on the western border of Burma.

"He has confessed that he was involved in Yaba smuggling in the area and the seized Kyat 9 lakh was from local gangs who bought Yaba tablets from him," the police official said.

In Maungdaw Township, Yaba trafficking has registered a marked rise in recent years and many locals near the border indulge in the smuggling of Yaba tablets, given the high profits in illegally exporting it to Bangladesh.