Inflow of Yaba from Myanmar goes on unabated:Daily Sun

  Smuggling of Yaba and other contraband drugs are going on unabated from the neighbouring Myanmar in this holy month of Ramadan. Evading eyes of members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and other law enforcers, organised drug dealers smuggle in the country banned drugs like Yaba and Phensidyl from Myanmar regularly, detectives said. Youths, mostly school, college and university students, both
boys and girls, are getting addicted to these harmful drugs, endangering their lives, in the capital and elsewhere in the country, they said. On Sunday, BGB men seized about 70,000 pieces of Yaba tablets from the Naf River adjacent to Shah Parir island at Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district. The border guards seized the trawler with Yaba tablets, but their carriers managed to escape. Organized drug dealers having links with dishonest members of law enforcement agencies smuggle Yaba into the country from Myanmar through Teknaf border. The gang members later supply the same to the capital Dhaka and port city of Chittagong as well as different parts of the country, sources at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said. According to a record, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) seized over three lakhs pieces of Yaba tablets from different parts of the country during last six months. Taking advantage of weakness of corrupt law enforcers, organised drug dealers have built up a strong network in Dhaka’s criminal underworld and elsewhere in the country, local sources said. Besides drug dealers, influentials in border areas, having liaison with both political leaders and law enforcers, also got involved with this immoral trade, detectives said, adding the harmful trade is going on unabated for a long time. “As Yaba tablets are very small, they are easy to carry. Smugglers usually carry Yaba tablets on their bodies regularly,” a senior CID officer, said. They bring Yaba tablets from Myanmar through different points along the border, such as Shapuri Dip, Shaprang, Teknaf, Nilla and Whykong, he revealed. On arrival on the Bangladesh soil, drug dealers supply Yaba tablets to local markets with the help of their accomplices, he informed. In recent time, many smugglers were arrested with Yaba tablets along the border. But within a few days, they get bail and came out of jail. On return from jail, they again got involved with the illegal trade. Because of price-hike of Phensidyl, Yaba tablets have become popular among the youngsters. Not only youngsters of well-to-do family, but youths belonging to middle class and even low-income group are also getting addicted to Yaba, informed circle said.