CCTV cameras along Naf to stop yaba influx

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said the government has planned to set up closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras along the borders of Naf River in southeastern Cox's Bazar district, aiming to check the influx of contraband yaba pills from Myanmar.

“The Department of Narcotics Control is yet to set up CCTV cameras along the Naf river, but it has a plan to install CCTV cameras, drug detectors, scanner machines and other modern equipment there to prevent the smuggling of yaba pills from Myanmar,” the home minister said while responding to a starred question placed by Jatiya Party lawmaker Md Mujibul Haque of Kishoreganj-3 in the House, with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.

Besides, he said, the government has planned to procure speedboats to strengthen surveillance along the river so that yaba pills could not enter Bangladesh territory.

Asaduzzaman said building a drug-free Bangladesh is a big challenge for the government, but it has taken various steps to keep the country's young generation free from drugs.

“The government has taken zero-tolerance policy against drug and the policy will continue,” he said, adding the Department of Narcotics Control, police, BGB, Rab and Bangladesh Coast Guard are working restlessly to implement the policy.

The home minister said an action plan is being implemented with an aim to remove drugs from society.

In 2018, members of law enforcement agencies filed 1,19,878 cases against 1,61,323 people, he said. “In 2018, they seized about 6.91 crore yaba pills, 450 kilogrammes of heroin, 60,343 kilogrammes of marijuana and over 7.18 lakh bottles of Phensedyl,” he added.

Asaduzzaman said as per the decision of the enforcement committee, the government has already formed a core committee and a taskforce involving the Department of Narcotics Control and law enforcement agencies to stop the smuggling of yaba tablets in Cox's Bazar.