94,000 Yaba tablets seized in Cox's Bazar, 35 held

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in separate drives seized 94,000 Yaba tablets in Cox's Bazar early yesterday and on Saturday night.

Our Cox's Bazar correspondent reported that BGB members stopped a Dhaka-bound night coach from Teknaf when it was crossing Marichcha joint check post on Cox's Bazar-Teknaf highway on Saturday night. They quizzed the 32 passengers, driver, supervisor and helper of the coach.

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As the behaviour of the passengers aroused suspicion of the BGB members, they searched the coach and found 44,000 Yaba tablets tied to the rear axle of the coach. They also arrested the 32 passengers, who were in the guise of tourists, and the driver, supervisor and helper of the coach.

On interrogation, the Yaba smugglers told BGB men that a Dhaka-based organised gang of smugglers had hired a coach of Dhaka-Bagerhat route for using it to commit the crime.

On May 7, the 32 members of the Yaba smuggling gang had been sent to Teknaf in the guise of tourists.

Lt Col Khandker Saiful Alam, commander of BGB 17 Battalion at Cox's Bazar, said they arrested all the 35 people for possessing the drugs. He said the value of the seized Yaba tablets is around Tk 3 crore.

A case has been filed with Ramu police station against the arrested smugglers under Anti-Narcotics Act, said Saiful Ahmed Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of Ramu police station.

In another raid, BGB members recovered 50,000 Yaba tablets from Jalia Para Jhau Bagan area under Sabrang union of Teknaf upazila yesterday. The value of the tablets is about Tk 1.5 crore.