14 lakh Yaba pills seized in Teknaf; two detained

Yaba pills seized in Teknaf on Wednesday 9 September 2026.

Cox’s Bazar, Sept 9 – The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 14 lakh Yaba tablets from a boat disguised as a fishing vessel in the Hnila border area of Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday afternoon.

Two people were detained in connection with the smuggling attempt.

Acting on intelligence about a large consignment of Yaba being brought into Bangladesh from Myanmar, the BGB intensified surveillance and patrols along the Hnila border over the past two weeks.

On Wednesday afternoon, a special team from Hnila Border Outpost (BOP), under the direction of the commanding officer of Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB), took position in the Sluicegate area.

The team signalled a suspicious boat to stop. When two people on board attempted to flee, BGB personnel detained them.

An initial search of the boat found no narcotics. Suspecting that the smugglers might have hidden the drugs elsewhere, the BGB team conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area.

At one point, they spotted several objects floating in the water and tied to the boat with ropes. After retrieving and searching the sacks, they found the Yaba tablets packed in 140 cartons and wrapped in khaki-coloured packaging.

According to preliminary interrogation, the smugglers disguised themselves as fishermen and towed the narcotics in the water instead of carrying them inside the boat.

The smugglers adopted the tactic after failing to evade BGB surveillance during previous attempts to transport the narcotics at night, according to the BGB.

Lieutenant Colonel Md Zahirul Islam, commanding officer of Ukhiya Battalion, said BGB anti-narcotics operations will continue to ensure border security and prevent the smuggling of narcotics.

He said the BGB is strengthening technological capabilities, intelligence surveillance and the effective use of manpower despite various challenges in border areas. - UNB