Nearly 400,000 Taka Worth of Medicines Seized, Three Smugglers Arrested

Authorities in Cox’s Bazar have seized medicines worth approximately Tk 365,000, which were being prepared for smuggling into Myanmar. In the operation, three individuals involved in the smuggling were arrested.

The seizure took place on Monday, 29 September, in the Kachhapia Union of Ramu Upazila, following a tip-off.

During the operation, a mini-covered van belonging to Square Pharmaceuticals and a CNG auto-rickshaw, both used in the smuggling operation, were also confiscated. The raid was conducted under the direction of Shahjahan Monir, in-charge of the Gorjonia police outpost, with Sub-Inspector Masum Farhad leading the accompanying force.

The arrested individuals are:

Reports indicate that the Square Pharmaceuticals medicines were packed into the mini-covered van for illegal transport. When the van was stopped and interrogated, the suspects initially provided inconsistent responses before confessing that they regularly smuggled medicines across the border into Myanmar.

The confiscated items include:

• 54,200 tablets of Antasit Plus
• 6,000 tablets of Imotil (Imotil)
• 6,000 tablets of Ambrox SR (Ambrox SR)
• 250 pieces of Volinac Gel
• Various syrups, injections, veterinary and general medicines, among others

The Officer-in-Charge of Ramu Police, Arif Hossain, stated: “We are taking strict measures to prevent medicines from being smuggled into Myanmar through customs evasion. Cases have been filed against the arrested individuals under the Customs Act and Special Powers Act. Operations against smugglers in the border areas will continue.”

This operation highlights the authorities’ ongoing efforts to crack down on cross-border smuggling and enforce strict customs regulations in the region.