Yaba being transported to Bangladesh underwater

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has claimed that Yaba was being smuggled from Myanmar into Bangladesh through special wooden carriers submerged underwater using electric motors, pulleys, and nearly two kilometers of steel cable. The force has identified this technique of pulling the carrier across the Naf River through Ukhiya's Faisya Canal into Bangladesh for one to one and a half kilometers. BGB believes that about 3 million Yaba tablets can be transported at once in one such carrier.

In this incident, conducting separate operations in the border area of Ukhiya, BGB recovered 220,000 Yaba tablets, one foreign pistol, two magazines, 11 rounds of bullets, and various equipment used in smuggling. Three people were detained in these operations.

Lieutenant Colonel Md. Zahirul Islam, commander of the Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB), gave this information on Tuesday (October 13).

BGB said that around 9:30 pm on October 12, a patrol team of Palongkhali BOP spotted four to five suspicious people next to a makeshift hut at Monir's gher in Anjumanpara of Ukhiya. When the patrol team challenged them, they tried to flee. At that time, two people named Belal Uddin (35) and Khorshed Alam (26) were detained. Their are hailed from Nalbunia and Madhyamphari Bill areas of Ukhiya Upazila.

Later, searching the scene and the room in the gher, a foreign pistol, two magazines, 11 rounds of bullets, a mobile phone, 9 pulleys, a wooden submerged carrier, nearly two kilometers of steel cable to pull it, a high-capacity battery, and an electric motor along with various equipment were recovered.

How the Smuggling Worked

According to BGB's account, the wooden submerged carrier was pulled underwater with the help of an electric motor, steel cable, and pulleys. From Myanmar, crossing the Naf River through Ukhiya's Palongkhali Faisya Canal, the carrier could be taken nearly one to one and a half kilometers inside Bangladesh. BGB believes that about 3 million Yaba tablets could be brought at once in this way.

According to information provided by BGB, since the canal is winding, pulleys and cables were used at various bends. While pulling the carrier, one of the smugglers would proceed with it pretending to fish in the water. While crossing the bends of the canal, the small pulleys would be detached from the larger permanent pulleys. BGB has stated that the carrier was brought inside Bangladesh in this way.

220,000 Methamphetamine Tablets Recovered in One Day

BGB further said that around 3 am on October 13, a special patrol team of Balukhali BOP conducted an operation in the area of Sohel's gher adjacent to BSP post in the duty area. At that time, while trying to enter Bangladesh from the Myanmar side, a person named Rocky Ahmed (26) was detained. 200,000 Yaba tablets were recovered from him.

On the same day, in separate operations in the duty area of Palongkhali BOP, another 20,000 Yaba tablets without an owner were recovered. A total of 220,000 Yaba tablets were recovered in the two operations.

BGB claims that on September 9, 1.4 million Yaba tablets were recovered while being pulled by rope after being submerged in water by boat in Hnila of Teknaf. As BGB increases its vigilance in preventing drug smuggling at the border, smugglers are using new techniques.

According to information from Ukhiya Battalion 64 BGB, from January to October of this year, about 16 million 630 thousand Yaba tablets have been recovered in their duty area. During the same period, 228 people were detained on charges of drug smuggling. BGB has said that operations and surveillance will continue to prevent drug smuggling.