DHAKA, Aug 20, 2026 (BSS) - The government has intensified its nationwide campaign against yaba trafficking, ordering coordinated operations, tougher action against major drug syndicates and stronger surveillance of land, river and maritime routes as authorities confront the continuing flow of methamphetamine-based narcotics into Bangladesh.

The latest enforcement drive comes amid a series of major yaba seizures along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recently recovering a combined 872,000 yaba tablets in separate operations in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban.

In the latest operation, BGB's Ukhia Battalion (64 BGB) recovered 672,000 yaba tablets from five abandoned sacks in the Anjumanpara and Faisakhali areas of Ukhia late Tuesday night. 

The drugs were allegedly being brought into Bangladesh from Myanmar by seven to eight suspected smugglers, who fled after being challenged by a BGB patrol.

Earlier, BGB's Cox's Bazar Battalion (34 BGB) seized 200,000 Burmese yaba tablets during an operation near Kakra Bridge in the Ghumdhum border area of Naikhyangchhari in Bandarban. 

The combined seizure underscores the continuing scale of cross-border trafficking despite intensified security along the frontier. 

BGB officials said intelligence surveillance and anti-narcotics operations have been strengthened to identify smugglers and suppliers and bring them to justice.

The latest seizures are part of a much broader enforcement campaign. During a nationwide anti-crime operation, police recovered more than 9.12 million yaba tablets, filed 17,066 narcotics cases and arrested 24,821 suspected drug offenders.

BGB's monthly figures also reveal the scale of the challenge. In July alone, the border force seized 2,110,258 yaba tablets, along with crystal methamphetamine, Phensedyl and other narcotics.

The longer-term figures are even more striking. BGB reported recovering more than 147 million yaba tablets in 2025 and arresting 2,334 people for alleged involvement in drug trafficking and smuggling.

The figures demonstrate the enormous volume of narcotics intercepted by law-enforcement agencies, while also suggesting that seizures alone have yet to dismantle the networks supplying Bangladesh's domestic market.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has repeatedly described drug trafficking as a major national security and social concern and pledged a tougher response.

He announced a nationwide coordinated drive against drugs and gambling, reiterating the government's zero-tolerance policy.

"As pledged in our election manifesto, we have declared zero tolerance against gambling, online gambling, and drugs," he said, adding, "There is no alternative to saving our youth."

The government subsequently launched a special joint operation on May 1 involving the Department of Narcotics Control, police, Rapid Action Battalion and intelligence agencies.

The stated objective is broader than simply intercepting shipments or arresting couriers. Authorities want to identify and dismantle the major syndicates and cross-border networks that finance, organise and control the trade.

The government has also signalled that enforcement will extend to officials suspected of facilitating narcotics trafficking.

The Home Minister warned that law-enforcement personnel found assisting illegal drug businesses would face punishment. 

Such institutional accountability could prove crucial because large-scale trafficking requires logistics, financing, communications and, in some cases, local protection.

The government is therefore increasingly attempting to move beyond conventional raids and arrests toward targeting the infrastructure that enables the trade.

During a recent visit to Cox's Bazar, the Home Minister announced plans to prepare an impartial list of the country's leading drug traffickers. 

He said a task-force committee would compile a neutral list of drug smugglers and traders, with further action based on its findings.

The initiative could shift enforcement attention from couriers and street-level dealers to the people who finance and control the supply chain.

Authorities also plan to establish camps along important trafficking routes through coordinated operations involving local law-enforcement agencies.

With narcotics entering Bangladesh through land, river and maritime routes, Ahmed has instructed the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard to strengthen patrols.

Authorities also plan to register fishermen and fishing vessels operating in Teknaf and Ukhiya, a measure that could make it easier to identify vessels and individuals potentially linked to trafficking.

BGB, meanwhile, is increasingly using intelligence and technology to detect shipments along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. 

In one of its largest recent operations, the force recovered 1,059,400 yaba tablets in separate operations in Cox's Bazar. Surveillance has included radar monitoring, thermal imaging and intensified patrols.

Dhaka remains an important destination market. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police continue regular anti-narcotics operations, while previous investigations have identified suspected dealers who allegedly obtained yaba from Cox's Bazar and distributed it in the capital.

Authorities are also confronting the growing digital dimension of narcotics trafficking.

The Narcotics Control (Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed by Parliament in July, introduced provisions targeting websites, social media, mobile applications and other digital platforms used to buy, sell, advertise or facilitate narcotics transactions.

The legislation also addresses digital payments and virtual assets used in drug transactions, providing authorities with additional tools to investigate trafficking networks operating partly or entirely online.

While law-enforcement agencies focus on disrupting supply, doctors and mental-health professionals warn that the consequences of yaba use extend far beyond addiction.

Yaba contains methamphetamine and caffeine. Prolonged use can affect the brain and cardiovascular system and contribute to serious psychological problems, including paranoia, agitation and psychotic symptoms.

Addiction can also disrupt families, education and employment and contribute to accidents, violence and other risky behaviour.

That makes treatment and rehabilitation an essential component of the national response. Supply-side enforcement may reduce availability, but without accessible, evidence-based treatment, people already dependent on drugs may continue to sustain demand.

Bangladesh's shortage of mental-health professionals and limited access to treatment further complicate the challenge.
    

The latest recovery of 872,000 yaba tablets demonstrates that Bangladesh's law-enforcement agencies can disrupt major shipments. At the same time, the seizures expose the presence and scale of the trafficking networks operating across the border.

Cox's Bazar remains central to the problem because of its proximity to Myanmar, difficult terrain and extensive waterways, all of which create opportunities for traffickers.

The government's plans to identify major traffickers, establish security posts along key routes, and strengthen river and maritime patrols could therefore mark an important shift from chasing individual carriers to targeting the infrastructure that sustains the trade.