Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested eight suspected drug traders with a total 259,000 yaba pills from two picnic buses in Chittagong.
Six of the suspected drug traders were arrested from a picnic bus arriving from Cox's Bazar near the Karnaphuli Shah Amanat Bridge around 7am on Saturday. The two others were arrested when RAB raided another picnic bus, heading for Noakhali from Cox's Bazar, at Shikalbaha under Karnaphuli police station around 7pm.
A total 240,000 yaba pills were seized from the arrestees on the first bus, while 19,000 yaba pills were seized from those on the second bus.
The arrestees from the first bus are Atiar Rahman, 55, Masud Rana, 31, Md Bablu, 47, Iqbal Hossain, 37, Md Jewel, 39 and Aminur Rahman Sumon, 23, while Rubel Hossain Mona, 28, and Amir Hossain, 42, were arrested from the second bus.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Assistant Superintendent of Police of RAB 7 Mashuqur Rahman said the arrestees were smuggling yaba pills, taking cover inside a picnic bus.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of RAB 7 conducted a drive in the bus at the Shah Amanat Bridge area under Bakalia police station in the city.
He said: "During primary interrogation, the arrestees confessed to their involvement with the smuggling.
"The arrestees will be handed over to Bakalia station for further legal action. A case will be lodged against them under Narcotics Control Act," the RAB official added.
Coast Guards recovers 70,000 yaba pills in Teknaf
Members of the Coast Guard have recovered 70,000 yaba pills worth Tk3.5 crore during separate drives in Teknaf.
In the early hours of Saturday, the Coast Guard conducted drives at the Naf River Transit Ghat and Jaillar Dwip area and recovered the contraband.
Coast Guard Assistant Director (Detective) Lt Cdr M Hamidul Islam said: “Acting on tip-offs members of Coast Guard battalion conducted drives in the southern part of Teknaf upazila, during which 20,000 pills were dug up from the Jaillar Dwip area and 50,000 abandoned pills were recovered from Naf River Transit area.”
The recovered contraband Was handed over to Teknaf police station and used to file a case under the Narcotics Control Act, he added.