Influential people behind Yaba trade
Say intelligence, Rab sources
Despite close vigilance of Border Guard Bangladesh and other law enforcement agencies, several lakhs of stimulating Yaba tablet are entering the country everyday from Myanmar border.
Intelligence sources told the news agency that some powerful international criminal and financial networks are controlling drugs supply-chain within Bangladesh.
Yaba is a combination of methamphetamine (a powerful and addictive stimulant) and caffeine. Yaba tablets typically are consumed orally.
Yaba drugs are coming to Teknaf of Cox's Bazaar from Myanmar through the Naf River mainly by small boats, fishing boats, cattle carrying trawlers and small cargo ships. The drugs traffickers have been using a 14 km route between Teknaf and Shahpuri Deep.
Sabrang Union, located in the southern part of Teknaf upazila, near Maungdaw township of Arakan State in Mayanmar, is one of the main points used by the traffickers.
The sources said nearly 100 drug peddlers are involved in supplying Yaba tablets across the country specially capital Dhaka from Teknaf.
Each dealer supply 10,000 to 20,000 Yaba tablets in each consignment, said an intelligence officer, adding that each drug dealer sends five to six consignments every months depending on demands.
On Thursday, Rab and the Narcotics Control Department raided a Chinese restaurant in the city's Uttara and arrested drug dealer Abdus Sakur Mahmud, 44.
The law enforcers searched the bag kept on his lap and found around 18,000 pieces of Yaba tablets. This was the second biggest Yaba recovery in terms of quantity as earlier the elite force recovered around 1.20 lakh pieces Yaba tablets from Gulshan in 2007.
Rab headquarters at a press briefing yesterday morning said Mahmud revealed that demand of Yaba tablets are increasing as a section of physicians, judges, army majors and officials have been taking Yaba along side young generation.
Director (Media) of Rab Headquarters Commander Sohail said a section of influential people are involved in Yaba trading in the country.
“We have got names of a number influential people and information about their bank account numbers,” Sohail said, adding “We are checking with their bank accounts.”
The influential people send money to Singapore through hundi and the money then is re-transferred to Myanmar as payment for Yaba consignment, he said.
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