For dishonest bus drivers, Cox’s Bazaar-Dhaka is a lucrative route because driving for renowned bus companies, they can avoid checking by law enforcers and transport yaba.
Drivers of well-respected companies like Hanif, Shyamoli, Shohag are regularly being arrested by law enforcers.
A driver called Anisul Huq, alias Dulal, had been a driver in the route for a long period but the lure of easy money and ‘get rich quick’ aspiration drove him to join drug dealers. Dulal used to get a huge amount of money for bringing yaba from Cox’s Bazaar. On Saturday, 20 October, he was arrested by RAB near Malibagh with 20 thousand pieces of yaba.
Reportedly, he used to get Tk 80,000 for delivering a large shipment.
RAB-2 commander, Lt Col Md Anwar uz Zaman, told Bangla Tribune: “Dulal drives Shohag’s Scania luxury bus and brought with him 20 thousand pieces of yaba.”
He was arrested when trying to deliver the drugs, added the RAB officer.
From 2004 till October 2018, RAB has arrested 44 drug traders and recovered 4 lakh 2 thousand 80 pieces of yaba, 1194 bottles of phensidyl, 19 kg of marijuana and 2 kg heroin.
RAB also impounded buses belonging to reputed companies like Shyamoli, Hanif, Saudia, Toba line, Elite, and others.
Director of RAB’s legal wing, commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, told Bangla Tribune: “We are searching all long route buses to prevent drug trafficking.”
The bus owners and helpers need to be careful that no one is transporting drugs, he added.
Secretary-general of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association, Khondokar Enayetullah, told Bangla Tribune: “We also want to be united against drug dealers.”
We are vigilant about tackling drug transportation using long route buses, he added.