Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has arrested three drug traffickers and seized 190,000 yaba pills in an operation on the Naf River in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf. An engine-powered wooden boat used to transport the yaba was also seized.
The joint operation was carried out Saturday, August 29, on the Naf River by teams from the Sabrang and Shahpari Dwip border outposts, under the Teknaf Battalion (2 BGB). Teknaf Battalion (2 BGB) commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Md Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan disclosed the information in a notice.
Those arrested are Jamal Hossain, 38, son of the late Kabir Ahmed of Kulalpara village in Teknaf; Md Emran, 25, son of Shah Alam of Noapara village; and Md Ismail, 24, son of Abul Hossain, also of Noapara village.
BGB sources said they had received tip-off intelligence that a large yaba consignment could cross the Naf River from Myanmar and enter Bangladesh through the Sabrang border. Acting on this information, a BGB operational team took up a strategic position in the area around 3 p.m. Around 4:30 p.m., a BGB river patrol team signaled a motorized boat to stop after spotting it crossing from Myanmar into Bangladeshi territory.
However, the traffickers ignored the signal and attempted to flee, and BGB members gave chase. During the pursuit, those aboard threw a plastic sack into the Naf River. BGB members later managed to strategically apprehend three people along with the boat.
Based on information from the arrested traffickers, the floating plastic sack was later recovered from the Jaliapara area near Shahpari Dwip. A search of the sack turned up 190,000 yaba pills.
The process of handing over the arrested individuals and the recovered yaba to Teknaf Model Police Station through a regular case is under way.
Commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Md Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan said: “Alongside protecting the border, BGB remains constantly alert and active in preventing drug trafficking and all forms of criminal activity in border areas. No matter how drug traffickers change their tactics, their attempts will be thwarted through BGB’s intelligence surveillance, river patrols and coordinated operational activity. Teknaf Battalion’s anti-drug operations will continue to be strengthened in the future to protect the country and its youth from the horrors of drugs.”