Drugs have spread alarmingly at the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhia and Teknaf Upazila. Narcotics control department says, there are more than five hundred yaba selling spots at camps in these two upazilas. RAB and police sources say that Rohingya men smuggle yaba and other narcotics from Myanmar, which later, is delivered to trades by women.
Law enforcers say that while smuggling yaba, Rohingyas got involved in a shootout with RAB and two persons were killed on Thursday (Aug 22).
The killed are Mohammad Saker, 22, son of late Syed Hossain of Kutupalong camp and Nurul Alam, 30, son of Mohammad Ali, from Muchni camp in Teknaf.
Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coast Guard sources say that in the last three years, 2016, 2017, 2018, the apprehension of yaba shipments have increased in Cox’s Bazar.
In the last two months, more than fifty Rohingya people were arrested. As per law enforcers, in 2016, 15 million yaba tablets were recovered from Teknaf which rose to 25 million tablets in 2018.
Chairman of Kutupalong Camp Development Committee, Mohamamd Faizu Arakani, says: “Poverty and privation drive many to get involved in drugs and some nefarious quarters are exploiting the vulnerability of the Rohingyas.”
Meanwhile, chairman of Teknaf’s Leda camp, Mohammad Alam, claims: “Due to lack of employment, many women and children are getting involved in yaba trade; there are around 250 voluntary guards at my camp.”
“We have not caught godfathers but managed to apprehend carriers,” he added.
Teknaf upazila parishad Chairman and upazila Jubo League president, Nurul Alam, says: “In addition to being engaged in the drugs trade, many Rohingyas are getting involved in murder and crime; as a result, the locals feel insecure.”
The police have maintained their vigilance but due to lack of force, eviction of drug dens is not possible, said Teknaf police OC Pradeep Kumar Das.
Teknaf camp in charge of RAB-15 Lt Mirza Shahed observes: “We arrested 55 Rohingyas in the last ten months and recovered more than 400,000 yaba tablets and 37 cases have been lodged.”
Due to drives by RAB, the involvement of locals in drugs has fallen but the Rohingyas have become more involved in narcotics, he said, adding: “We have also increased our surveillance.”