Most drugs come through 95 points along the border

Drugs are being smuggled into the country the most through 95 points of the 19 bordering districts of the country. The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) has marked these points as risky.

This was disclosed in the annual report of the DNC published on the ‘International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’. The day was commemorated on 26 June.

These 19 districts of the country are located along the border of India and Myanmar. According to the DNC reports, these districts have been divided into four parts – west, north, east and south. The highest number of these vulnerable points has been identified in the nine districts of the western region. Some 51 points have been identified in these districts bordering West Bengal of India.

The report also identified some 15 routes for smuggling yaba from Myanmar through the southern districts of Cox's Bazar and Bandarban. The report said as these routes are in remote areas, yaba smuggling cannot be controlled on these routes.

The report further states that phensidyl is being smuggled through seven new routes of the western district of Chapainawabganj. Heroin is being smuggled through seven points of Satkhira.

Along with phensedyl, heroin is coming through 24 points in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Joypurhat and Dinajpur. Besides, Phensedyl is entering the country through 13 points in Jashore, Chuadanga and Meherpur.

According to the report, phensedyl and cannabis are coming through 29 points in 8 districts in the northern and eastern parts of the country. Of these, nine points in eastern Cumilla and six points in Brahmanbaria have been identified.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is responsible for guarding the border including prevention of drugs and smuggling. BGB Director (operations) Lieutenant Colonel Faizur Rahman told Prothom Alo that although Bangladesh is not a drug producing country, it is a risky country for drug trafficking due to its geographical location.

Due to constant patrol, drives and surveillance of the BGB, huge quantities of drugs are being recovered at the border. Although the drugs peddlers at the field level are being arrested, it is not being possible to arrest the kingpins.. As a result, drugs trafficking cannot be completely controlled.

Faizur Rahman said work was underway to set up a surveillance system at the Cox's Bazar border to curb drug trafficking. He said two latest model helicopters have been procured to carry the BGB members to remote areas safely and conduct drives quickly.

The drug situation in the country cannot be controlled due to several limitations of the DNC. The reports highlighted several limitations of the agency. It said there is lack of manpower. There is a lack of equipment for drug detection, tracking the cell phones of the criminals and proper vehicles for crime prevention. Officers conducted anti-drug drives unarmed. Sometimes the drive cannot be conducted properly as the traffickers have firearms. The report also stressed on professional and technology-based training for officers and others.

Azizul Islam, director general (additional responsibilities) of the DNC, said, “Despite various limitations, several initiatives have been taken to reduce the demand, supply and the heinous effects of drugs. Activities are being carried out according to the action plan for drug control. We are working in coordination with all the agencies concerned to stop drug trafficking through the India and Myanmar borders.”

According to the DNC report, the amount of yaba recovery has increased by 45.88 per cent as compared to 2020. The law enforcement agencies recovered some 53,073,665 pieces of yaba last year. This number is the highest in the last five years. The law enforcement agencies recovered some 36,381,017 pieces of yaba in the year 2020.

The report states, yaba is produced in the states of Shan and Kachin of Myanmar. These yaba are smuggled to Bangladesh in various ways. Rohingya citizens are being used to smuggle yaba. Among the 15 identified points of drug trafficking along the Myanmar border, 10 are in Cox’s Bazar and five are Bandarban.

DNC officials say there is a lack of goodwill on the part of Myanmar authorities to prevent smuggling of yaba and 'ice'. So far four bilateral meetings have been held with Myanmar. Although a list of clandestine yaba factories in Myanmar has been handed over, they are not taking any steps to stop them.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement in 1994 to work together on drug control. The first bilateral meeting was held in Yangon in 2011 under that agreement.

Then in 2015 the second meeting was held in Dhaka and in 2016 the third meeting was held in Yangon. Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the last meeting was held virtually in 2020. Myanmar didn’t sign the proceedings agreed upon in the last two meetings under the agreement.