News Desk : dhakamirror.com
The Rapid Action Battalion seized over 24 kilograms of crystal meth, known as Ice, from Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhia on Saturday night, in the biggest ever seizure of the drug in the country.
The latest seizure took place within 10 days of the previous biggest seizure of 22 kilograms by the Border Guard Bangladesh in Ukhia.
The RAB officials also arrested four people including a ‘drug kingpin’ during the drive at an under-construction house in Ukhia’s Palankhali area.
The arrestees are ‘drug kingpin’ Mohammad Imran alias Iran Majhi, of Balukhali area the upazila, his brother Mohammad Rubel, Alauddin, a sacked policeman, and Joynal Abedin.
They are residents of Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas.
The latest seizure is the largest haul of crystal meth in the country,’ RAB’s media wing director Khandaker Al Moin said at a press conference on Sunday at RAB-15 camp in Cox’s Bazar.
The market value of the seized meth is around Tk 120 crore, he said.
Iran has been involved in drug smuggling from Myanmar for years. He was arrested four times earlier for drug smuggling and has been facing seven cases, said the RAB official.
A gang of 10-12 people led by kingpin Iran Majhi are engaged in smuggling crystal meth from Myanmar through the remote area of Ukhia.
The gang used to collect meth from Myanmar syndicate through Ghumdhum border and store the drugs in the Rohingya camps and in the deep hills and later supplied those to Dhaka and other parts of the country, said the RAB officer.
There are at least seven cases against Iran, five against Rubel, four against Alauddin and six against Joynal and Moin, said the official.
Alauddin was sacked from the police force for drugs trading involvement in 2017, he added.
The RAB official said the crystal meth was recovered from under the construction material of the building.
The BGB on April 26 seized 21.90 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth or Ice, from Balukhali near Bangladesh-Myanmar border at Ukhia in Cox’s Bazar.
Crystal meth, which comes in the form of clear crystals or shiny blue-white rocks, is a highly addictive drug that stimulates, and eventually harms the central nervous system.
Bangladesh in recent years has witnessed frequent seizures of crystal meth in the capital and Teknaf bordering areas as its rising popularity has become alarming.
According to the Annual Drug Report of the Department of Narcotics Control, about 104 kilograms of crystal meth were seized by all agencies in 2022, whereas the figure was 36 kilograms in 2021.
