Keraniganj Police Arrest Five with 700 Yaba Tablets

Five people have been arrested with 700 yaba tablets during a special anti-narcotics operation in Keraniganj, on the outskirts of Dhaka, police said.

The arrests were made late on Monday night in the Sirajnagar Madhyapara area of Taranagar Union under Keraniganj Model Police Station. The operation was conducted by a team from the Dhaka District Detective Branch (DB South).

The development was confirmed on Tuesday, 11 August, by Rezaul Karim, officer-in-charge of the Dhaka District DB South.

The detainees were identified as Abdul Awal Jhontu, 45, from Singair in Manikganj; Amir Hossain Rony, 40, from Rupganj in Narayanganj; Selim Bhandari, 42, from Manikganj Sadar; Mannan, 42, from Nageshwari in Kurigram; and Ejaz, 40, from Manikganj Sadar.

According to police, the DB team launched the operation at around 10.35pm on Monday on a paved road in front of Jakir Hossain’s market in Sirajnagar Madhyapara. Acting on information available to the investigators, the team stopped and searched the suspects and recovered 700 yaba tablets from their possession.

Rezaul Karim said the operation was carried out under the direction of Dhaka District Police Superintendent Shamima Parveen, with assistance from Additional Superintendent of Police Zahidul Islam Khan.

Police subsequently initiated legal proceedings under the country’s narcotics control laws. Two of the arrested suspects have been charged in a narcotics case, according to the DB.

After completing the initial legal formalities, the five suspects were produced before a court. Police sought five days’ remand for further questioning and investigation.

The arrests come as law-enforcement agencies continue efforts to disrupt the trafficking and distribution of yaba, a synthetic stimulant that has remained a major concern in Bangladesh’s fight against illegal drugs. Investigators typically seek to establish the source of seized consignments, their intended destination and whether those arrested are connected to a wider distribution network.

Police have not disclosed further details about the suspected supply chain or whether additional arrests are expected in connection with the seizure. The investigation is continuing, while the court will decide on the remand request and subsequent legal proceedings.