Cox’s Bazar, Sept 30 (V7N) – Security forces have seized over 1,14,000 pieces of yaba tablets in multiple anti-drug operations across Teknaf and Ukhiya upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district, officials confirmed Tuesday. Three separate drives conducted by the Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and a joint military-police team led to the recovery and arrests.
 
According to Coast Guard spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Sayeam-ul-Haque, a special raid was carried out at Keruntali area under Teknaf Police Station around 9 p.m. Monday based on intelligence. During the operation, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw was searched, yielding 24,000 yaba pills concealed in a sophisticated manner. The vehicle was seized and one suspected trafficker was arrested on the spot. Authorities said legal proceedings against the detainee are underway.
 
In a separate operation the same night, a patrol team from Balukhali Border Outpost under BGB’s Ukhiya battalion recovered 80,000 yaba pills from the border near pillar BP-28. Officials said a smuggler entering from Myanmar was challenged but fled by jumping into a canal and swimming back across the border. Upon searching the area, BGB troops discovered two poly packs wrapped in a lungi containing eight airtight packets of yaba tablets.
 
Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Jasim Uddin, commanding officer of Ukhiya Battalion, confirmed the recovery and said surveillance has been intensified to capture the fugitive traffickers. The confiscated narcotics will be handed over to Ukhiya Police Station for further legal action.
 
Meanwhile, in another drive on Tuesday afternoon, a joint task force including the army and police intercepted a suspect at Foliapara checkpoint in Ukhiya. The detainee, identified as Md. Aminul Islam (25) of Chandanaish in Chattogram, was found carrying 10,000 yaba pills. He was handed over to Ukhiya Police for prosecution under the Narcotics Control Act.
 
Security officials stated that these operations are part of ongoing zero-tolerance measures against drug trafficking, particularly along the Myanmar border and refugee-hosting areas. Authorities confirmed that joint patrols and raids will continue in order to curb the inflow of yaba and safeguard law and order in the region.
 
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