Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) said they arrested a "convicted drug peddler," who had been on the run for seven years, from Gazipur's Kashimpur early Friday. The arrestee was identified as Abdul Ahad alias Limon alias VP Limon, 34. He was sentenced to life in prison in a case under the Narcotics Control Act. Read more: Photojournalist Aftab murder case: Fugitive convict held in Dinajpur Tipped off, a team of Rab-2 conducted a drive in Kashimpur around 3:55am and arrested Limon, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md Fazlul Haque, senior additional director (media) of Rab-2, said. On September 24 in 2014, Limon was arrested with "a large haul of drugs" and a case was filed against him at Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station. Read more: Fugitive death row convict held in N’ganj "He was later released on bail after spending two years behind the bars. After that, he continued selling illegal drugs, faking his identity," Fazlul said. "Efforts are on to catch Limon's associates. He was handed over to Palashbari Police Station in Gaibandha," he added.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members have detained three suspected drug peddlers and seized 1.90 lakh Yaba pills from Jatrabari area of the capital, Rab said on Sunday. The detainees were Aminul Islam, 26, son of Abdur Rahim of Chattogram, Nurul Islam, 48, son of Syed Shahzada of Bandarban and Hedayet Ullah, 20, son of Abul Kashem of Chattogram district. Tipped off, a team of Rab-3 conducted a drive in the area and seized the Yaba pills worth Tk 5.70 crore kept inside the fuel tank of a truck Saturday night, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of the Legal and Media Wing of the Rab headquarters while briefing to the reporters. Later, the elite force detained three people in this connection. Read: Drug peddler held with yaba pills in Dhaka

A person was stabbed to death and another one injured in an attack by their rivals over drug peddling in High Court (HC) area of the capital on Saturday, said police. The deceased was identified as Md Suman, 38, and the injured is Rocky, 35. Read: Trader stabbed to death in Narail Mainul Hossain, sub inspector (SI) of Shahbagh Police Station, said two groups locked in scuffle over the drug peddling in front of Eidgah Gate of the HC area around 4:30pm. At one stage of the scuffle, the opponent group stabbed Suman and Rocky with sharp weapons leaving them critically injured, he said. They were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where physicians declared Suman dead on arrival, the SI said adding that Rocky remains hospitalised with life-threatening injuries.       

Every time there is a police raid, bottles of foreign liquor, yaba tablets and other sundry items are found. Having them  are criminal acts but one wonders how many well off and even not so well off homes have them. In a country, where the police have to say that anyone who fails the dope test will be sacked means it is more pervasive than we can even think. We have around 10-15 million drugs including yaba addicts most people estimate. It’s an entirely smuggling based sector that has grown so large that we don’t even know how big it is. Millions make their money from the many income sources , both ferrying on protection.  And yes, almost every social segment is involved. That was the point Sinha was trying to make and he paid with his life. This is big business and the deals are in the million dollar level so the crime part is small compared to the economic one. Also read: Man held with 9k Yaba pills at Dhaka airport How old is yaba ? Yaba arrived in Bangladesh in 2000 and then slowly took off. It’s basically methamphetamine but has since arrival thrived. Initially it was in competition with phensedyl but the India produced cough syrup slowly over time lost the market and yaba from Myanmar  took over. It’s much easier to smuggle in, carry and sell so naturally a winner.  The result is the yaba explosion, in growth terms probably much bigger than the rmg sector.  Bangladesh is simultaneously a transit and destination country of the drug trafficking network. Yaba flows despite Bangladesh’s war on drugs because killing a few hundred street traders is considered good news because hundreds more are ready to join. And the business is a business of the influential. So though a few may die, the trade is not affected at all.  Each Yaba pill is sold for around 100- 300 . Estimates vary. The Narcotics Control Bill in Oct 2018  which sort of made encounter killings halal along with other punishments has not worked. The smugglers have always been smarter and following alternative routés are easy in a country bordering very difficult terrains. It’s not just Mtyanmar which traditionally supplies but India is a route too now.  Yaba is now coming in larger quantities from India, through the Kurigram District located in north Bangladesh. From the sea route, smugglers use the southern districts mostly Patuakhali to push the drugs in. Also read: SI of PBI held with Yaba But yaba is a socio-economic issue not a law enforcement one It provides an easy if risky life for many unable or unwilling to enter the labour market. The addiction often begins much earlier as “youth gangs” have become great introducers of yaba to children. For many it’s also a high income no matter how risky. The consumers come from all levels so it has a broad market. If Dhaka is full of fancy clubs, kids have clubs too and many are doing the same. If dinghy clubs are supplying foreign liquor, kids clubs supply foreign yaba. Neither the liquor nor the tablet that is making so much media noise can impact on the drug economy,  the narco trade is bigger than ever. And maybe the capacity to control is limited too. For some it really is no problem, after all you make money and you can get a high so who cares?