Two 'drug peddlers' killed in ‘gunfight’

Two alleged drug peddlers were killed in what police claimed was an infighting of drug peddlers in Cox's Bazar's Ukhia upazila early yesterday.

The victims were Mustaq Mia, 35, and Mokter Mia, 32, of Balukhali area in Ukhia upazila. They were siblings.

Nurul Islam, inspector (investigation) of Ukhia Police Station, said police went to Patuar Tek area near Teknaf marine drive road around 3:00am, on information that some drug peddlers were exchanging bullets.

Sensing the law enforcers' presence, members of the gang left the spot. Police found Mustaq and Mokter with bullet injuries, he said.

They were taken to Ukhia Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared them dead, said Nurul, claiming that police recovered two locally made guns, four cartridges and 9,600 yaba pills from the spot.

Police claimed that Mustaq and Mokter were involved in drug trade, and the “gunfight” took place over sharing profits from sale of yaba pills.

Abul Khayer, officer-in-charge of Ukhia Police Station, said the siblings were listed drug peddlers and wanted in several narcotics cases. 

Mustaq and Mokter first used to work for drug dealers -- Bakhtiar Uddin and Jahangir Alam -- who are also siblings. After Bakhtiar and Jahangir arrested by police and sent to jail, Mokter and Mustaq took over the business and used to smuggle in yaba tablets, he added.

With the death of Mustaq and Mokter, over 300 suspected drug dealers and peddlers have been killed since the nationwide anti-narcotics drive began on May 4 last year.

Police claimed that over 60 of them were killed in “gunfights” triggered by internal conflicts.