Law enforcement officers in Cox’s Bazar have detained two Rohingya refugees after seizing 26 kilograms of cannabis during a targeted search of a passenger bus at the Link Road area.
The operation was conducted during the early hours of Saturday (3 October) by a team from Special Response Battalion-15 (SRB-15). Acting on a precise tip-off regarding narcotics trafficking into the coastal district, officers established a temporary checkpoint along the highway in the Link Road precinct under Cox’s Bazar Sadar sub-district.
Officers intercepted a Cox’s Bazar-bound night coach operated by Saudia Paribahan, traveling from Cumilla. Upon searching the vehicle, team members discovered the substantial consignment of cannabis hidden inside bags belonging to two passengers. Law enforcement personnel promptly seized the narcotics alongside two mobile phones used by the suspects to coordinate their activities.
The detained individuals were identified as 25-year-old Mohammad Ayyaz, a resident of Kutupalang Camp 2 in Ukhiya, and 55-year-old Hasina Begum from the Kutupalang Registered Refugee Camp.
During initial interrogations, both suspects admitted that they had been actively engaged in cross-border drug smuggling for an extended period. They disclosed that they regularly procured illegal consignments from various border regions across Bangladesh using shifting concealment tactics before distributing and retailing the drugs across Cox’s Bazar and neighboring refugee settlements.
SRB-15 handed over the seized narcotics, confiscated mobile devices, and the two suspects to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station for formal legal action.
Confirming the operation, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, Sheikh Mohammad Ali, stated that a case under the Narcotics Control Act is being prepared against the duo. Investigators are also working to trace the broader network and local handlers involved in supplying cannabis to the area.
