Kaladan News

 

Dated: Wednesday, January 12, 2004

 

 

Two Burmese Smugglers Nabbed in Bangladesh

 

Cox’ Bazar, January 12: Bangladesh police chased two Burmese smugglers at Cox’s Bazar and nabbed them from a car recently, said Shukur who is working at Cox’s Bazar Court.

 

Police arrested smugglers are Zabir, 35 and  Sallim, 32, both of them hailed from Shwe Zarr village under the Maungdaw Township of Arakan State. They were carrying medicines by a car from Teknaf (Bangladesh) to Chittagong through Cox’s Bazar town, he more added.

 

When they reached at Cox’s Bazar with their goods, police on suspicion wanted to search the vehicle. At once, they (smugglers) started running and police chased them, finally two were arrested and 3 others however managed to escape. Police recovered many cartons of medicines from their car worth of Taka 200,000. The two arrestees were detained in Cox’s Bazar jail, said a police of Cox’s Bazar.

 

The smugglers carried the medicines from Arakan State to Teknaf by water route and proceeded to Chittagong through Cox’s Bazar by a car. A team of patrol police met them while they tried to transfer their goods to another vehicle after their arrival at Cox’s Bazar.

 

They carried Preactin tablets made from Thailand, which is used for to increase body weight of human being and cattle. Mostly, it is used by females to increase their weight and cattle traders use it to feed their cattle to increase weight of their cattle. On the other hand, the holy Eid-ul-Azha (the festival of sacrifice) of Muslims will be celebrated on January 22; therefore, cattle traders are willing it hugely. But, many people got sick in Bangladesh after using these tablets. As a result, Bangladesh government strictly banned it, said a quack who involves in trading medicines.

 

It is very easy to carry many quantities because these tablets were prepared into small package with 1000 tablets.  One package (1,000 tabs) is cost in Burma at Taka 900/- while it being sold at Taka 1,200/-. Smuggler get profit Taka 300/- per package or 1,000 tablets. Accordingly, the said tablets have been smuggled to Bangladesh in huge amount from Burma, said a trader who frequently crossed the Burma-Bangladesh border for business purpose.

 

Besides, hormone rich medicines, made of Thailand, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and also Burmese indigenous medicines are being smuggled into Bangladesh from Burma, said a brother of a medicine shopkeeper who is arrested at Cox’s Bazar.

 

On the other hand, Birth control medicines--- both of tablets and injection such as Depo, Combination 3 and 5, Suky tablets---, cough injection; such as Canakort (made of Pakistan and Germany), medicines for treatment of lunatic persons, medicines which stimulate sexual desire or sex power such as uros, 9 days, one dose, which are produced in gas, capsule, cream and all sorts of medicines are being smuggled into Burma from Bangladesh, said a medicine shopkeeper of Teknaf. ##

 

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