BGB recovers 9.8 lakh yaba pills after gunfight with smugglers at Cox’s Bazar border

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has recovered 9.8 lakh yaba pills in two separate drives along the Hnila–Whykong border in Cox's Bazar, following an alleged exchange of fire with armed drug smugglers early Wednesday (18 February).

According to a BGB press release, the first operation was carried out around 12:30am based on intelligence inputs. 

Under the supervision of the Ramu sector commander, a joint patrol team comprising members from the Ramu Sector, Ukhiya and Teknaf battalions took position near the Chowdhuripara sluice gate area, about 1.5 kilometres southeast of the Hnila BOP.

Around 1:00am, the patrol spotted 8-10 suspects entering Bangladesh from Myanmar, the force said. 

When challenged, the suspects with firearms allegedly opened fire indiscriminately on the BGB team. 

The border guards responded with blank shots in self-defence, according to the media release. 

As the situation escalated, the alleged smugglers abandoned the yaba consignment and took shelter in the nearby mangrove forest while continuing to fire. 

The exchange of gunfire reportedly continued for nearly an hour along the Naf River and adjacent forest areas.

The BGB said several alleged smugglers retreated through the Naf River route, while four to five others fled towards a nearby village. Considering the safety of local residents, the force said it refrained from further targeted firing in the village direction.

Later, the fleeing smugglers were reportedly involved in a separate gunfight with a local armed group. 

To prevent further deterioration and ensure public safety, BGB said it then sought support from the Bangladesh Navy, Rapid Action Battalion and police. 

Additional patrol teams brought the situation in Chowdhuripara village under control.

Subsequent searches along the Naf River and adjacent embankment led to the recovery of 7.1 lakh yaba pills. BGB described it as one of the largest yaba seizures by law enforcement agencies in recent years.

In a separate drive around 11:00pm the previous night, another patrol team from the Ukhiya Battalion recovered 2.7 lakh yaba pills from the Monirghona area, about 1.5 kilometres north of the Whykong BOP.

The BGB said it has intensified intelligence surveillance to identify and arrest those involved in the smuggling attempt.

The seized drugs have been handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station, and legal proceedings are underway.