Despite close vigilance of the Border Guard Bangladesh and other law enforcing agencies, several lakhs of stimulating Yaba tablets are entering the country everyday from Myanmar border. Intelligence sources told UNB that some powerful international criminal and financial networks are controlling drugs supply-chain within Bangladesh. Yaba is a combination of methamphetamine (a powerful and addictive stimulant) and caffeine. Yaba tablets typically are consumed orally. Users place the yaba tablet on aluminum foil and heat it from below. As the tablet melts, vapors rise and is inhaled. People who use Yaba face the same risks as users of other forms of methamphetamine: rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, and damages small blood vessels in the brain that can lead to stroke. Chronic use of the drug can result in inflammation of the heart lining. Overdoses can cause hyperthermia ( elevated body temperature), convulsions, and death. Yaba addicts also may have episodes of violent behavior, paranoia, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. Yaba are coming to Teknaf of Cox’s Bazaar from Myanmar through Naf river mainly by small boats, fishing boats, cattle carrying trawlers and small cargo ships. The drugs traffickers have been using a 14- kilometer-long route between Teknaf and Shahpuri Deep. Sabrang Union, located in the southern part of Teknaf Upazila, near Maungdaw township of Arakan State in Mayanmar, is one of the main points used by the traffickers. The sources said nearly 100 drug paddlers are involved in supplying Yaba tablets across the country especially capital Dhaka from Teknaf. Each dealer supply 10 ,000 to 20 ,000 Yaba tablets in each consignment, said an intelligence officer, adding that each drug dealer sends five to six consignments every months depending on demands. Acting on a tip-off, a joint team comprising members of RAB-1 and department of Narcotics Control raided a Chinese restaurant in Uttara and arrested drug dealer Abdus Sakur Mahmud, 44 , at about 7 :00 pm on Thursday. The law enforcers searched the bag kept on his lap and found around 18 , 000 pieces of Yaba tablets. This was the second biggest Yaba recovery by RAB in terms of quantity as earlier the elite force recovered around 1.20 lakh pieces Yaba tablets from Gulshan in 2007 and arrested a manufacturer. Drug dealer Mahmud confessed that he was involved in Yaba trade for a long time and he used to bring four to five consignments of Yaba tablets in Dhaka from Teknaf every month. RAB headquarters organized a press briefing Friday morning where the arrested drug dealer Mahmud was produced. Replying to a question, Mahmud revealed that demand of Yaba tablets are increasing as a section of physicians, judges, army majors and officials have been taking Yaba along side young generation. Director (Media) of RAB Headquarters Commander Sohail said a section of influential people are involved in Yaba trading in the country. “We have got names of a number influential people and information about their bank account numbers,” Sohail said, adding “We are checking with their bank accounts”. The influential people send money to Singapore through hundi and the money then is re-transferred to Myanmar as payment for Yaba consignment, he said. According to latest information, police searched a land cruiser jeep at Ukhia Court Bazar road Thursday night and recovered 40 ,000 Yaba tablets. The RAB (Media) director said members of RAB so far recovered 3.22 yaba tablets since the elite force was launched in March 2004.
