RAB busts yaba factory in Keraniganj; four held

Nearly 2,000 yaba tablets, raw materials and manufacturing equipment seized as investigators probe wider drug production network

Elite anti-crime force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-10, has dismantled a suspected yaba manufacturing facility in Dhaka's Keraniganj area.

During the raid, four alleged members of a drug production syndicate identified as Md Alamgir, alias Ande, 40; Md Ali Arman, 36; Md Shahjahan, 40; and Sonia, 30 were arrested while narcotics, manufacturing equipment and raw materials were seized.

The raid was carried out on Thursday night in the Madhyachar South Baluchar area under Keraniganj Model Police Station, officials said.

Authorities recovered 1,968 yaba tablets, various powder-like substances believed to be used in production, yaba manufacturing equipment, five mobile phones and a weighing scale from the premises.

RAB-10 Commander Additional Deputy Inspector General (Addl. DIG) Mohammad Asaduzzaman disclosed the details during a press briefing at the RAB Media Centre in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar on Friday.

According to RAB, the operation was launched following intelligence reports about a drug manufacturing syndicate allegedly operating in Kamrangirchar, Old Dhaka and several other parts of the capital.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspects reportedly admitted to producing yaba for approximately two years and provided investigators with information about several other suspected yaba manufacturing facilities operating in Dhaka.

"The raw materials recovered from the factory are legal and widely used in different industries. However, the group allegedly used them to manufacture yaba," Asaduzzaman said.

He added that investigators would seek remand to question the suspects further in an effort to determine the source of the raw materials, identify the production methods and uncover the broader supply network behind the illegal operation.

According to RAB, one of the arrested suspects, Md Alamgir, has three previous cases filed against him under Bangladesh's Narcotics Control Act with Rampura, Kamrangirchar and Mohammadpur police stations.

RAB officials said, legal proceedings against the four suspects are underway. The investigation will continue to identify additional clandestine drug production facilities, dismantle the wider criminal network and trace the supply chain used to manufacture and distribute yaba.

Yaba, a methamphetamine-based stimulant commonly mixed with caffeine, remains one of the most widely trafficked illicit drugs in Bangladesh, with law enforcement agencies continuing nationwide efforts to curb its production, smuggling and distribution.