Yaba dealers won’t be spared: Home minister

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Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf Correspondent
Published : 16:28, Feb 16, 2019 | Updated : 16:40, Feb 16, 2019

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal addressing an audience during the surrendering of yaba dealers at Cox`s Bazar on Saturday (Feb 16).The yaba dealers in hiding won’t be spared, says Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
His remarks came on Saturday (Feb 16) during the surrender of over 100 listed yaba dealers at Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf Upazila.
“If the members of any law enforcing agency is found to be involved with drugs, legal actions will be taken against them as well,” he said.
He added that Border Guard Bangladesh has to play a key role to ensure that drug consignments don’t enter the country through the border.
Yaba smugglers surrendering in front of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal during a formal ceremony at Cox's Bazar on Saturday (Feb 16).“Those of you haven’t surrendered yet should do so soon,” he said before adding no matter how powerful of drug dealers are, they will be brought to justice.
He then urged those who surrendered to choose a better path.
Earlier in the day, a total of 102 listed yaba dealers surrendered to the police with 30 guns, 70 rounds of ammunition and 350,000 tablets of contraband yaba.
Last year, the law enforcers cracked down on the drug scene in Cox’s Bazar listing 1,151 traders. Former Awami League lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi is on the list along with 26 of his family members.
Yaba tablets are a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine and a popular substitute for the party drug Ecstasy and made its way into Bangladesh's party scene in early 2000.
102 drug peddlers surrendered to police on Feb 16 in presence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in Teknaf,Cox’s Bazar.A series of sensational raids in 2007 and media coverage on the issue brought the drugs into limelight that year, leading to calls for stopping their use.
Methamphetamine, the key component of Yaba, is highly addictive and causes withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, anxiety, paranoia, and aggressiveness.
Yaba is usually smuggled into Bangladesh through 45 routes of Cox’s Bazar district, bordering Myanmar's Rakhine State, according to intelligence agencies.
Myanmar is infamous for producing yaba, opium and cannabis in vast quantities.
Drug trafficking has emerged as a problem in Rakhine State and illicit drug trade has flourished because of its mountainous land and porous borders.

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