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Yaba smuggling goes on unabated


Published : 10 Aug 2020 09:47 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 08:11 PM

The contraband Yaba tablets are still being smuggled in the country despite the government’s zero tolerance to drugs and the law enforcement agencies’ continuous anti-drug drives. 

A crime review meeting was held at the Police Headquarters recently where officials said consignments of the methamphetamine-based yaba tablets continue to enter the country, sources said. 

On Saturday, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two drug paddlers in possession of 20,000 pieces of Yaba with law enforcement seized some more in several other districts.

Cox's Bazar always becomes the main route of smuggling Yaba despite security forces continues busting drugs dens in the bordering districts.

On Februray this year, some 123 Yaba traders returned to normal life after surrendering to police.

Currently, 1,250 others, including 912 people from Cox’s Bazar Teknaf alone, are enlisted in police list over Yaba trading, according to Cox's Bazar police.

Meanwhile, field officials were instructed to launch crackdowns on drugs including yaba. 

Director General of Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) Md Jamal Uddin Ahmed said, no open drug dealing happens now. 

Situation has improved since drug peddlers surrendered and awareness campaign began, said Ahmed adding the man who introduced yaba in Bangladesh is no longer on the scene.

He said, “I can name a number of godfathers who either has gone into hiding or is behind bars. More than 2 crores of yaba tablets were recovered in 2019, which was at over 5.3 crore in the preceding year. As a result, the supply of yaba has decreased comparatively."

Former chairman of the Department of Sociology at University of Dhaka, Professor Nehal Karim said, “Drug smuggling happens all over the world. If the government becomes serious they can stop it.

“Trafficking syndicates of (neighboring) countries carry out drugs trading with the help of the locals. Nothing unknown to the government and drug paddlers who don’t negotiate with corrupt officials are killed in shootout,” he lamented.