Police have recovered 300,000 yaba-like tablets from a flat on the ninth floor of an upscale residential building directly opposite the Superintendent of Police’s office and the Press Club in Cox’s Bazar, raising concerns about the scale of drug trafficking in the coastal city.

Three men were arrested during a police operation based on confidential intelligence. The tablets were reportedly packed into 30 bundles wrapped in khaki tape and concealed inside two black travel bags. One of the arrested men has claimed that he previously sent a total of two million yaba tablets to Dhaka in 10 separate consignments, although the claim remains subject to verification.

The operation took place at flat 8/A on the ninth floor of Coral Reef Purvita Sultan Villa, on New Circuit House Road in the Baharchhara area of Cox’s Bazar town.

Police raided the flat between 2.30am and 4am on Sunday, 18 October. The building’s location, directly opposite two prominent institutions, has prompted questions about how such a large quantity of suspected narcotics could be stored there without attracting attention.

The arrested men have been identified as Arman Bayati, 27, from Shariatpur; Md Shamim, 30, from Pirojpur; and Md Rakib, 25, from Bhola.

Md Ali, officer-in-charge of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, said three special police teams conducted the operation after receiving confidential information. During the search, officers discovered two black travel bags inside a cabinet in a bedroom. They recovered 30 packages containing the suspected yaba tablets and seized three mobile phones.

Suspected trafficking route from Teknaf to Dhaka

According to police, preliminary questioning suggests that the drugs had been collected from the Teknaf border area and stored in the flat before being transported to a man named Md Rahad Hossain, 26, from Keraniganj in Dhaka.

Police said the flat had been rented in Rahad’s name. He was not present during the raid and remains at large, according to the authorities.

Arman Bayati reportedly told journalists that he had previously sent 10 consignments of yaba to Rahad, with each shipment containing 200,000 tablets. If verified, the claim would mean that two million tablets had been transported in earlier deliveries.

The alleged previous shipments have not been independently confirmed. Investigators will need to establish whether the consignments were made as described, identify the people involved and determine the extent of the suspected trafficking operation.

The case has drawn attention to the movement of narcotics from the Teknaf border region towards major urban markets. Cox’s Bazar’s geographical position makes the area relevant to investigations into alleged drug transportation networks, although the precise route and wider network connected to this particular seizure remain under investigation.

CCTV footage under scrutiny

Police are examining CCTV footage recorded over the previous month to establish who visited the flat and whether other individuals were involved in storing or transporting the drugs.

The footage is expected to help investigators identify people who may have entered or left the building during the period under review. Police are also examining whether the three arrested men and the missing suspect worked together to operate the flat as a storage and distribution point.

Authorities allege that the three arrested men and Rahad had been using the premises for storing and trading yaba for an extended period. These allegations will need to be established through the investigation and judicial proceedings.

Legal action has been initiated under Bangladesh’s Narcotics Control Act, police said.

Investigators are expected to focus on the source of the recovered tablets, the arrangements for renting the flat, the suspected delivery to Dhaka and any financial or communications records that could help establish the roles of those involved. The seizure of three mobile phones may also provide material for further investigation, subject to lawful examination.

Journalists raise concerns over security

The recovery has prompted concern among local journalists, particularly because the building stands directly opposite the offices of the Superintendent of Police and the Press Club.

Nurul Islam Helali, president of the Journalists’ Union Cox’s Bazar and a senior journalist, expressed concern that suspected drug traffickers had allegedly stored such a large quantity of narcotics in a building so close to two prominent institutions.

He said the incident suggested that those involved were acting with considerable boldness. He called for firm action against drug traffickers and urged the authorities to dismantle the networks behind the trade.

Helali also thanked the police for conducting the operation on the basis of intelligence. He warned that other drug trafficking groups might be operating in the city and called for continued surveillance, intelligence gathering and regular enforcement operations to identify and bring those responsible to justice.

Calls for greater scrutiny of residential buildings

Mumtaz Uddin Bahari, general secretary of the Cox’s Bazar Press Club and a senior journalist, said the city was being used as a transit point for yaba trafficking.

He alleged that upscale residential buildings had, for some time, been associated with claims about the presence of major drug traffickers. In his view, properties rented at high prices without adequate checks on tenants could potentially be exploited to store or distribute narcotics.

Bahari also referred to allegations that individuals at various levels of law enforcement and some members of the media might have links to the drug trade. He called for such claims to be investigated impartially and for anyone found to be involved to face legal action, regardless of their profession or social standing.

The allegations concerning possible involvement by public officials or journalists have not been established in this case. Any such claims would require separate, credible evidence and proper investigation.

Investigation could reveal wider trafficking links

The recovery of 300,000 suspected yaba tablets has placed renewed attention on the challenge of detecting drug storage facilities in residential areas. While enforcement operations can intercept large consignments, identifying the people responsible for sourcing, storing and distributing narcotics remains essential to disrupting trafficking networks.

The latest case also highlights the importance of verifying tenants’ identities, maintaining appropriate building security and responding to credible intelligence about suspected criminal activity. Such measures must be implemented lawfully and should not result in residents being treated as suspects without evidence.

For investigators, a central task will be to determine whether the seized tablets were part of a wider distribution operation and whether the alleged earlier consignments can be substantiated. Establishing the suspected links between Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar and Keraniganj could help clarify how the drugs were allegedly moved and who was responsible at each stage.

The search for Rahad Hossain and the analysis of CCTV footage are likely to be significant parts of the investigation. The authorities will also need to establish the nature and extent of the three arrested men’s alleged involvement.

The case has raised uncomfortable questions about the use of residential properties for suspected narcotics storage, particularly in a prominent part of Cox’s Bazar. Whether the investigation uncovers a larger trafficking network will depend on the evidence gathered in the coming days and the verification of the claims made by those arrested.