POBNEWS24,Dhaka, Jan 8, 2022: Although not a drug producing country, Bangladesh is at high risk of drugs due to its geographical location.
Bangladesh is at the heart of three major drug smuggling regions in Asia known as the Golden Triangle, the Golden Crescent and the Golden Wage. That is why, international drug traffickers can easily use Bangladesh as a transit point.
The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) has conducted research on the route of drugs in Bangladesh.
There are three regions in the Golden Triangle bordering Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. It is located east of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has a direct border with Myanmar. Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan are collectively called the Golden Crescent as a route for drug production and smuggling.
Drug traffickers have been keeping an eye on Bangladesh at the heart of these three regions for more than four decades.
Initially, heroin and phensidyl were abundant in the smuggling list, but later other drugs were added. In the last one decade, yaba has spread in the country. And methamphetamine, the main ingredient in making yaba, has been coming for around two years.
In Bangladesh, methamphetamine is known as ice or crystal meth. Ice production in the Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent is growing at an alarming rate. Basically, this trend of increasing production from 2015 to 2019 is widespread. These two regions are one of the markets for ice in the world. According to the latest global drug report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Bangladesh is one of the six countries in the Golden Triangle where Myanmar produces ice keeping in view the markets of the six countries.
Ice shipments have been coming to the country for the last two years. The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) says 22 consignments of ice were seized in the raid last year. So far, the drug market in the country is centered in Dhaka and Chittagong. Like Yaba, it is likely to spread across the country.
Ice or crystal meth is a more dangerous drug than yaba. Although methamphetamine is the main ingredient in yaba, it contains only 15 percent of methamphetamine. And 97% of ice or crystal meth is methamphetamine. It looks like transparent glass (crystal). This drug causes various problems including insomnia, amnesia, dementia. In addition, long-term use of this drug causes weight loss, kidney and heart problems, and various physical and mental problems such as depression and stroke.
Since Bangladesh is at the center of three major drug smuggling regions, the international drug ring is active in this country. Sri Lankan and Nigerian criminal gangs in particular are more active. They are using Bangladesh as a transit route to smuggle drugs to different countries of the world.
From the beginning of the eighties, drug traffickers started producing Phensidyl in factories along Indian border areas and sending it to Bangladesh. Due to this Phensidyl has become widely available in the country since then. The situation is still the same. The DNC fears that if yaba is made in India now, it will be of great concern to Bangladesh.
In Southeast Asia, Myanmar is making ice targeting the markets of Bangladesh, Laos, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Not only these countries, UNODC says, Myanmar is also trying to create ice markets in Japan and Australia.
Last year, more than 30 kg of ice was seized in the country. The source of these is Myanmar. Ice shipments are coming to the country from Yaba route.
Dulal Krishna Saha, the chief chemical examiner of DNC, has been involved in drug testing and research for 22 years in the forensic lab of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC). He said in the first light, the shipment of ice has been coming for more than two years. He fears that in the next two to three years, ice could spread like Yaba.
Bangladesh has no direct contact with any country except India, Myanmar and Iran on drug related issues. When UNODC organizes meetings and seminars at different times, the regional countries highlight their drug situation. At that time, discussions were held with the representatives of different countries, said Bazlur Rahman, Deputy Director (Operations) of DNC.
Bangladesh has informed about the arrival of yaba and ice in the bilateral meeting with Myanmar. They immediately responded positively. However, it is a matter of thinking how sincere Myanmar is in drug control, said Azizul Islam, Additional Director General of Department of Narcotics Control (DNC).
M Imdadul Haque, a drug researcher and professor at North South University Bangladesh, thinks, ‘Drug smuggling has become multidimensional. Smugglers are now using the “darkweb”. Law enforcement is not getting any information in it. Bitcoin is being used in transactions. Due to this it is becoming difficult to identify the drug cycle. According to the technical capabilities that drug traffickers are acquiring, our country’s law enforcement agencies do not have the capabilities. If we do not take initiative to acquire capacity, there will be more drug risk in the country’.
