With the land routes gradually becoming unsafe organised gangs of drug smugglers are said to be depending more on waterways and airways for trafficking deadly drugs. As per research findings, almost 50 land and waterway routes along the international border remain open for Yaba pills to enter Bangladesh territory. Some of the international routes for transporting contrabands are often referred to as the Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Saturday recovered nine lakh contraband Yaba pills from Teknaf sadar upazila of Cox's Bazar. The Yaba pills were smuggled in from Myanmar, the para-military official said.
Meanwhile, another BGB team in a separate drive recovered one lakh Yaba pills from Hariakhali Salt Field area in Sabrang Saturday, he said. The Yaba pills, worth around Tk 27 crore, will be destroyed later in presence of senior officials. At least 223 suspected drug dealers and peddlers have been killed since the anti-narcotics drive began on May 4 and recovered more than 1 crore Yaba tablets. Law enforcers said the door for Yaba to enter through Teknaf border of Cox's Bazar is still open.
Sources told the Daily Observer that at least 1.9 crore pieces of Yaba tablets were recovered in four months until September 8. The police and Rapid Action Battalion and BGB recovered most of the Yaba tablets. The Yaba tablets enter Bangladesh through Teknaf border of Cox's Bazar before they are distributed through peddlers all over the country. Most of the drug 'mafias,' however, remained untouched as many of the listed drug dealers have fled the country.
A suspected drug peddler was killed in a 'gunfight' with Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members in Chapainawabganj's Gomostapur upazila on Friday. Deceased, Abul Hossain Babu, 37, son of Alam Hossain of Shibrampur village in the upazila, was an accused in nine cases, including eight drug-related cases, filed with different police stations, After the "gun battle", bullet-hit Babu was found lying on the spot and later he was taken to the upazila health complex where doctors declared him dead. Two RAB members were also injured in the gunfight, claimed the RAB official. The Rab team also recovered one pistol, three bullets and 177 bottles of phensedyl from the spot.
A Yaba pill, depending on its type, is currently sold at any price between Tk 250 and Tk 350. The price of Yaba tablets increased after the anti-narcotics drive began on May 4. The first one is the prevalence of a criminal and illicit connection between the law enforcers and the smugglers. Intelligence agencies, say they estimated around 60 per cent of the country's youths are now addicted to drugs - marijuana, heroin, phensedyl, alcohol and Yaba - and their number is increasing. Of them 96 per cent are now addicted to the drug Yaba.
Law enforcement sources said there were around 38 Yaba factories along the border with Myanmar, reportedly capable of producing three million tablets a day, and 40 phensedyl factories along the Indian border. Most of these pills come from neighbouring Myanmar, India and even from distant Laos. The Yaba tablets are smuggled into Bangladesh using the vast bordering areas, waterways and airways.
