Teknaf, Bangladesh: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) returned 514 Rohingyas including 319 men, 129 women and 68 children to Burma in the month of March, 2015, according to Abu Rasel Siddique the second-in-command of BGB Battalion No.42 based in Teknaf, Bangladesh.
He said: “They were arrested by the BGB while illegally entering Bangladesh from various points on the Burma-Bangladesh border. Later on, they were sent back to Burma by the BGB after being given some food and medicines.”
The fate of the returned Rohingyas is unknown, said Alamgir, a Rohingya from the border.
BGB personnel also seized Yaba tablets worth over 123.75 million taka on the Burma-Bangladesh border in the month of March, the BGB official added.
The BGB and the coast Guard of Bangladesh have long been trying to curb Yaba smuggling from Burma, but have had little success. Though the BGP have built many out-posts in the border areas to try and catch Yaba smugglers they are still unable to stop the Yaba smuggling to Bangladesh said a local trader from Teknaf, on condition of anonymity.
Another man from the border area said, “The villagers living in the border areas quickly become rich after becoming involved in Yaba smuggling. So, the people who were not involved with Yaba before are also becoming interested in Yaba smuggling.”
The big smugglers carry Yaba to Chittagong by water way from Akyab (Sittwe), the capital of Arakan State, according to a trader from Teknaf, who preferred not to be named.
