Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have seized a massive consignment of 1.4 million Yaba tablets worth approximately Tk42 crore and arrested two alleged smugglers in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.
According to BGB, this is the largest Yaba consignment recovered so far this year in operations conducted by Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB).
The operation was carried out at around 12:30pm on Wednesday near the sluice gate area along the Hnila border in Teknaf upazila, during which the boat used to transport the narcotics was also seized.
Acting on intelligence reports, a special team from the Hnila border outpost took up strategic positions near the sluice gate under the direct supervision of commanding officer of Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB).
When BGB personnel spotted a suspicious boat and signalled it to stop, two individuals aboard attempted to flee but were detained by BGB members.
Although an initial search inside the vessel yielded no drugs, suspicious BGB members observed the boat closely and discovered several sacks floating in the water, tied to the boat with ropes.
Upon recovering and searching the sacks, officers found 1.4 million Yaba tablets packed inside 140 cartons wrapped in khaki-coloured packets.
Smugglers disguised as fishermen
Commanding Officer of Ukhiya Battalion Md Zahirul Islam said border surveillance, technology-based monitoring, patrolling, and intelligence gathering had been intensified following intelligence that a large Yaba consignment had been attempting to enter Bangladesh over the past two weeks.
“Failing to smuggle the drugs under cover of darkness at night, the smugglers disguised themselves as fishermen to transport the consignment by boat during the day,” Zahirul said.
“Instead of carrying the Yaba inside the boat, the sacks were tied to it with ropes and kept floating in the water. It was an innovative tactic, but due to the alertness and professionalism of BGB members, their plan failed,” he added.
He also mentioned that anti-narcotics drives would continue and that BGB members are performing their duties with maximum professionalism by enhancing technological capabilities and manpower despite various border challenges, aiming to bring drug trafficking and all forms of smuggling down to zero.
Earlier, on 3 and 4 September, BGB intercepted two separate Yaba consignments in the Obrang area along the Hnila border with technological assistance, arresting two persons and seizing 300,000 Yaba tablets.
Between 1 January and Wednesday this year, the Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB) seized approximately 14.3 million Yaba tablets and detained 243 accused individuals.
Zahirul added that, as per directives from BGB Headquarters, operations will also continue to prevent the smuggling of fuel, edible oil, and fertiliser alongside narcotics, with efforts persisting to bring all perpetrators under the law.
Legal proceedings against the two arrestees are currently underway.
