Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in separate drives in Cox’s Bazar seized 294,000 yaba tablets and arrested two alleged drug traffickers, besides seizing a tourist vehicle and a boat used for smuggling.
A patrol team in Ukhiya’s Palongkhali area arrested Md Imran, 34, around 2:20am Friday while he was allegedly entering Bangladesh from Myanmar disguised as a fisherman. Some 50,000 yaba tablets were recovered from a fish basket he was carrying.
Earlier around 10:40pm on Thursday, BGB recovered 200,000 yaba tablets from two packages abandoned by two people who fled after crossing into Bangladesh from Myanmar near Kharangkhalia.
In another drive around 5:30pm Thursday, 40,000 yaba tablets were recovered in East Karengaghona from a boat allegedly used to smuggle drugs from Myanmar. The suspected smuggler fled by swimming back toward Myanmar.
Meanwhile, BGB members and its narcotics detection dog Henry recovered 4,000 yaba tablets concealed near the steering wheel of a tourist vehicle at Shilkhali checkpoint. Driver Md Omar Faruk, 19, was arrested and the vehicle seized.
Lt Col Md Zahirul Islam, commander of Ukhiya Battalion, said intelligence surveillance and anti-smuggling operations had been intensified and would continue to prevent the trafficking of drugs and other illegal goods across the border.