Kalapara, new destination of Yaba
A section of Yaba smugglers are using 'safer and less costly' waterways to bring the illegal drug from Cox's Bazar or Myanmar to Kalapara in the district, said public representatives and local elites at a recent upazila development committee meeting.
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized about 6.77 lakh Yaba tablets from Kalapara bridge area on October 6.
On August 8, police arrested one Shakil, 22, with 445 pieces of Yaba from Khajura area near Kuakata sea beach.
On August 3, police arrested Runa Begum, 37, with 400 pieces of Yaba from Kalapara upazila town.
Earlier on July 12, police arrested a woman named Achia Begum, 28, and seized 2,000 Yaba tablets from her possession in Mohipur area.
Smugglers use nameless trawlers to carry Yaba from Teknaf or Myanmar or Ukhia to Kalapara, Ansar Uddin Mollah, chairman of Latachaplee Union Parishad (UP), said at the upazila development committee's meeting on October 8.
He also named two alleged Yaba smugglers of Mohipur area and urged law enforcers to arrest them to get more information about people involved in the crime.
Reaz Uddin Talukder, chairman of Dhankhali UP, mentioned the name of another alleged Yaba trader in the area.
Kalapara municipality Mayor Bipul Kumar Hawlader suspected that some Rohingya people might be involved in the matter.
Talking with this correspondent, Md Motaleb Talukder, Kalapara upazila parishad chairman, said, “Seizure of huge quantities of Yaba from Kalapara town indicates that the narcotic is being brought in the area from Myanmar or Cox's Bazar to Kalapara through waterways. We have already discussed the matter in the meetings of upazila law and order committee and upazila development committee to take lawful measures and find ways to prevent Yaba trade.”
“We asked all UP chairmen and members and village police to inform us or police if any people, especially strangers, are found moving suspiciously in the area,” he added.
Md Mahfuzur Rahman, additional superintendent of police of Patuakhali, said, “Following recent seizure of huge Yaba here, we asked the officers in charge (OC) of Kalapara, Galachipa, Rangabali and Mohipur police stations to arrange increased watch on water transports including trawlers and cargo boats to prevent bringing of illegal drugs from Myanmar, Ukhia or Cox's Bazar by waterways.
Md Monirul Islam, OC of Kalapara Police Station, said they are now extra careful over the matter as huge quantities of Yaba was seized and two alleged traders were arrested by law enforcers.
Major Md Masud Rana, company commander of Rab-8 Patuakhali camp, said they have increased patrol on waterways in the area to identify and nab Yaba smugglers.
“We can't search all trawlers or cargo boats round the clock on different routes in a large area due to lack of manpower and logistics but we take prompt action whenever we have information,” he said.
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