Rohingyas allegedly involved in crimes in Chittagong

Many Rohingyas living in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Baderban districts are engaged in various types of crimes. The Rohingyas are involved with arms smuggling, trading of yaba and drugs and underground political activities in Bangladesh, the law enforcing agencies and district administration officials said.  The law and order situation and environment are severely hampered in Cox's Bazar and Banderban districts due to presence of Rohingya people numbering several lakh.

Sources said, on June 24, elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered 15 lakh pieces of yaba tablets and arrested 12 alleged yaba smugglers including five Myanmar citizens from outer anchorage of Chittagong port.  The arrested Bangladeshi citizens are identified as Najir Ahamod (55), Mohammed Hashem (19), Mohammed Sadek (25), Khairul Amin (22), Mohammed Jafar 930), Khokan (25) and Anisur rahman (18). The arrested Myanmar citizens are identified as Mohammed Selim alias Moloy (20), Nur Alam (25), Saddam Hossain (20), Mohammed Abdul Khalek (24) and Mohammed Ismail (20).

Commanding Officer (CO) of RAB-7 Lt Colonel Miftah Uddin said, "Acting on a secret information, a team of RAB recovered15 lakh pieces of yaba tablets and arrested 12 Yaba smugglers including five Myanmar citizens from outer anchorage of Chittagong port." 

 He said, the Myanmar citizens are using the engines of buses or trucks at the wooden boat for speed. As a result, the Myanmar citizen can come to Bangladesh territory easily and returned back within short time after delivering the drugs to the smugglers.

 On the other hand, police recovered huge yaba tablets in three sacks worth around Tk 10 crore from a house at Gohira at Roypur village under Anwara upazila on May 16. The yaba tablets were recovered from the home of one Abul Kashem at the area. Mohammed Rejaul Masud, Additional SP of Chittagong said police is filling cases against the house owner and his son.

 "Abul Kashem and his son are involved with smuggling of yaba from Myanmar and they used to supply yaba in Chittagong through Teknaf route," Mohammed Rejaul Masud alleged.  Meanwhile, on June 7 last, Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) recovered around one lakh pieces of Yaba tablet worth around Tk three crore from Naf River side at Domdomia at Hnila area at Teknaf in Cox's Bazar.

The team also arrested two Mymar citizens for their alleged involvement with yaba smuggling. The arrested alleged yaba smugglers are identified as Abdur Rahman and Mohammed Jakir of Ashiskkapara area at Mongdu in Akiab in Mynmar. Besides, during the month of Ramadan, the law enforcing agencies have recovered huge yaba tablet and arrested several alleged smugglers and retail traders of yaba from different spots of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar.

Sources said, port city Chittagong and adjoining Cox's Bazar is being used for smuggling of illegal drugs including yaba, a drug containing morphine and amphetamine recently by. At least 20 to 25 syndicates including huge Rohingya people are engaged with smuggling of yaba in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar area who supply yaba to Dhaka and other areas in the country.

The elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), BGB, Narcotic Controlling Department (NCD), Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) and police are taking steps to curb the smuggling of contraband drugs including yaba. Despite the special measures of the authorities, smuggling of yaba is rampant through the port city Chittagong and sea city Cox's Bazar.

According to the sources in law enforcing agencies, the Rohingya people are also engaged in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar to smuggle drugs, wine and medicine. They are active in Cox's Bazar, Chittagong and Bandarban hill district. The wine, contraband drugs, sex stimulating tablet yaba etc are smuggled from Myanmar, India and Thailand. Sea is the main route of the smuggling.

The drug is smuggled into the country by air and land routes mainly from Thailand, Myanmar and Nepal. Major supply of the drug comes regularly from Myanmar as we share around 271 km of border with that country -- 208 km of land border and 63 km of river border, sources added Sources in police said, Rohingya people harmed the locals by their involvement with crimes and arms trading. Particularly, many Rohingya people are living at the hilly and remote village areas and came to the city areas for committing crimes.

The Rohingya people came here and committed crimes. Later, they hide into the remote areas and hilly areas. Some of them allegedly involved with arms and drug trading. But, police is very alert over the situation and conducting raids continuously to nab the criminals," sources added.

On the other hand, officials of district administration and BDR said that the alert of the BDR at the border area has been remained very active. "The BDR already intensified the security measures at the border at Teknaf recently."   It may be mentioned that around three lakh Rohingya Refugee's are living in Cox's Bazar, Banderban and Chittagong now.

The Rohingya Refugee's live at the Shaplapur, Hoakong, Godar bil, Pollan para, Saintmartin, Jadimora, Hnila, Leda, Ulobania, Kolal para, Unchiprang, Shah Pori Island of Teknaf, Mach bazar, Rahamater bil, Morichya, Kutu Palong, Ajokhaiya, Harin Mara of Ukhia, Kulia Palong, Kaspia of Ramu, Rumaliarchara, Pahartoli, Larpara, Kolatoli, Bodya Ghona, Bhanga Mora, Nuniar chara of Cox's Bazar, Aam Bagan, Karun Toli and Sadar of Nakyong Chari and several areas in Banderban and Chittagong. The Rohingya Refugee's already set up several Rohingya villages there.