6,500 yaba pills found stuffed inside two children’s stomachs

• Dangerous drug trafficking using children

RAB has arrested two children and the woman leading the trafficking ring while they were smuggling 6,612 pieces of yaba concealed in their stomachs. Of the two children, the 12-year-old had 67 packets and the nine-year-old had 66 packets of yaba in their stomachs.

The two children, who fell ill after dangerously swallowing these packets of yaba, are being treated under RAB’s supervision. This information was given yesterday, Monday, at a press conference by Lieutenant Commander Mr. Mohammad Tawhidul Islam, Company Commander of RAB-Chattogram. According to the briefing, on Saturday night, a CNG auto-rickshaw was searched on the Banshkhali-Anwara-Chattogram road at Sarkarhat in Chattogram’s Anwara upazila, leading to the detention of the two children along with Ms. Sharmin Akter (40). The two children admitted to carrying yaba inside their stomachs. They were admitted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital that same night. X-ray reports revealed the presence of yaba inside their stomachs, after which doctors used a special procedure to extract 6,615 pieces of yaba. The 12-year-old child had 67 packets taped inside the stomach, and the nine-year-old had 66 packets. Both children are from Alikadam upazila in Bandarban district, while Ms. Sharmin is from Chakaria upazila in Cox’s Bazar.

RAB official Lieutenant Commander Mr. Mohammad Tawhidul Islam said an organised ring based in Cox’s Bazar has been using children to smuggle yaba. During interrogation, Ms. Sharmin said each child is paid a monthly allowance of Tk 4,000, or given money to cover their family’s monthly grocery expenses, in exchange for carrying the yaba. The yaba is collected from the Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Ukhiya, where the children are made to swallow the packets. They are then taken to Chattogram city or another convenient location in the district, where the packets are extracted and handed over to the buyer.

Noting that carrying yaba inside the stomach is extremely risky, Mr. Tawhidul said doctors indicated that if any of the packets had ruptured inside the stomach, it would have caused poisoning in the children’s bodies, with a significant chance of death without any warning symptoms. RAB said a case has been filed against the three at Panchlaish police station in the city.