Narinjara News

Cox’s Bazar, 24 June 2005

Over 40 Million Taka in Contraband Seized in 5 Months

Bangladesh Rifle (BDR) battalion number 23, stationed at Taknef border town, seized over 40 million takas worth of smuggled goods from Taknef  border town alone in the first five months of fiscal year 2005, said an official from Bangladesh.

The smuggled goods seized were from both Burma and Bangladesh, and were mostly; clothes, textiles, beer, cheroots, medicine, fertilizers, alcohol, phensidyl and diesel, according to BDR senior officer Abutahail Mohmad Eibarhin.

According to sources, within the five month period, BDR seized goods in the following quantities: 500 sacks of fertilizer; 100,000 liters of diesel; 150,000 Kg of salt; 500 bottles of whiskey; several kinds of rifle cloths; W.Y tablet; several kinds of beer; Burmese cheroots; stimulant tablets and birth control medicines.

Official sources said they seized the goods in anti-smuggling drives implemented in the first five months of 2005.

BDR and other security forces of Bangladesh have been closely watching the smuggling gangs to prevent them from trading illegally, but the smugglers have still brought a number of goods from Burma to Bangladesh by way of the deep sea.

Despite Burma and Bangladesh having agreed to upgrade border trade since 2001, the smuggling businesses are still prevailing in the border areas.

Thus, the revenue from border trade for the two neighboring countries has been affected by the smuggling business, said a shop owner from Taknef town. #

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