Law enforcers have for the first time seized the assets of three top yaba smugglers from Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf.
The police on Saturday (Jun 1) seized three two-storied buildings and land worth Tk 300 million following a court order.
The smugglers whose assets have been seized are Ajhar Mia, 70 and his two sons Nurul Hoque Bhutto, 32 and Nur Mohammad alis Mongri, 35.
Nurul Hoque Bhutto is on the top of home ministry’s list of yaba dealers and his brother Nur Mohammad was killed in a ‘shootout’ with the police two months ago.
Teknaf Model Police OC Pradip Kumar Das led a raid till 3 pm and took the assets in police custody.
“I have no one. They have turned us out of our houses,” said one of the residents who were turned out of the buildings.
She claimed that none of her relatives were involved with yaba trade.
“The owners of these buildings used to be van and rickshaw pullers. Now they have assets worth millions,” said Teknaf Model police OC Pradip Kumar Das.
He added that many of the labourers, salt farmers, rickshaw and van pullers have acquired assets through yaba trade but have fled after the crackdown on narcotics began.
“Many of them have been killed in shootouts or are in police custody,” he said and added that those involved with the trade will gradually face the same consequence.
The OC said that as per a May 23 court order by District and Sessions Judge Khandaker Hassan Md Feroze, the accounts of the confiscated assets will be presented at court on May 14 of every year.