Badi tops yaba dealers' list
The Directorate of Narcotics Control has drawn up a list of 764 Yaba dealers. Ruling party parliamentarian Abdur Rahman Badi tops the lost. In the comments on the list, it is stated that there are a number of persons involved in the Yaba business under his shelter.
The list was drawn up on 23 January this year by the operations and intelligence department of the directorate of narcotics control. Others in the list include 25 close members of the ruling party member of parliament from Cox's Bazar, including his uncle Mong Mong Sen, his brother Maulvi Mujibur Rahman, Mohammed Shafiq, Mohammed Faisal and others.
The people of Cox's Bazar complained that though Yaba tablets are often caught, the godfathers remain behind the scenes. That is why the Yaba trade continues to flourish.
Badi MP, however, denied that he or his family is involved in the Yaba trade. He told Prothom Alo, "That money was taken from the Yaba dealers and a false list has been drawn up." he demanded that a fresh list be made and said, "If I am involved in Yaba dealing, let me be killed in crossfire."
In reply to a question as to why no arrests were made even after the list was prepared, Cox's Bazar additional police super Tofail Ahmed said, the police, BGB, RAB and the narcotics control directorate conducted an anti-Yaba joint operation in March-April in Teknaf. Seven Yaba dealers died in gunfights at the time. After that, some of the listed dealers went into hiding, others fled out of the country.
Police officials admit that Yaba smuggling is on a rise. Previously Yaba was brought across the river Naf and kept in stock at the border, to be distributed around the country later. Now it comes both by land route and the sea coast.
In a letter send to the home ministry in 2012 from BGB (Border Guard of Bangladesh), it was said that influential persons of the Myanmar parliament and other influential persons used the border guards of the Mongdu and Buchidong areas, army officers, customs police and senior intelligence officials of the country to carry out the Yaba business. There are 37 Yaba factories set up in 15 places along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Badi MP's name was mentioned in this report too.
An official of BGB Cox's Bazar sector has said that every day smugglers are being caught bringing consignments of Yaba over the river Naf to Teknaf, Ukhia and Naikhangchhari. Extra BGB patrols have been deployed along the border to prevent the Yaba trade, additional BGB posts have been set up and trained digs are also being used. Even then Yaba is coming in through fishing trawlers and other vessels.