Two children used to smuggle Yaba from Cox's Bazar to Chattogram

Two children were being brought from Cox's Bazar to Chattogram after being used to carry Yaba. RAB said the children were made to agree to the work by promising to bear their family expenses as well as giving Tk 8,000. This information came to light after a woman and the two children were detained from the Sarkarhat area of Anwara early Sunday. Later on Monday 6,615 Yaba pills were recovered from the two children at Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Lieutenant Commander Tawhidul Islam of RAB-7 Chattogram's Chandgaon camp told journalists that a Cox's Bazar and Chattogram-based ring has long been using children for drug trafficking. RAB had been keeping the matter under surveillance on the basis of intelligence information. In continuation of that a search checkpoint was set up in the Sarkarhat area of Anwara upazila and a woman named Sharmin Akter was detained from a CNG autorickshaw. The two children with Sharmin, a resident of Chakaria, were aged 9 and 12 years. RAB said in preliminary interrogation Sharmin admitted the matter of bringing Yaba using the two children. Later when the two children were taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, doctors confirmed through X-ray that Yaba was present inside them. Thereafter the Yaba were recovered through defecation. RAB said 67 packets were recovered from the 9-year-old child and 66 packets from the 12-year-old child, containing a total of 6,615 Yaba. Tawhidul Islam said the homes of the two children are in Alikadam of Bandarban. The ring used them in drug trafficking by showing the lure of bearing family expenses as well as giving Tk 8,000. Sharmin Akter was kept with the children so that no one would suspect. Citing doctors, Tawhidul Islam said there was a risk of death of the two children as Yaba was inside their bodies, because carrying drugs in this way is extremely risky. He said operations are ongoing to arrest other members of the ring. Tawhidul Islam advised guardians to remain aware so that children cannot be used in drug trafficking.