-Gold bars, weapons, explosives & cattle smuggling
-They aren’t included in case for unknown reasons
-Ruling party & opposition parties supports for favor
-Youth getting involved with encouragement
Smuggling has increased in the bordering areas of Ramu in Cox's Bazar and Naikshyongchari in Bandarban. Identified gangs are carrying out crimes by avoiding the eyes of the administration.
Allegations have been made that two persons named Md Ershad Ullah and Anwar Hossain Russell controls the nine villages near the border.
A senior police officer said they were involved in smuggling but their names were not included in any case for unknown reasons.
When asked about the complaint, accused Anwar Hossain Russell said, 'I am a timber merchant. I am associated with the lease of Kachpiya Bazar. I am not involved in smuggling in any way. The allegation made from conspiracy.
However, the locals said that these two influential youths run a smuggling syndicate. They have become reckless by taking advantage of administrative weakness. Cigarettes, weapons, explosives and cattle are being smuggled through that area.
It has been found that at least 9 villages of these two upazilas Ramu and Naikxyongchari are very close to the border. The villages include Phultali in Naikshyongchari, Valukkaya, Baishari, Tumbru, Baishfardi, Ashartali, Jamchari, Bambania and Hajipara and Moulveerkata in Ramu upazila. Among them, Myanmar cigarettes and weapons are smuggled through hajipara and maulvikata. A number of local influential control these areas of the border.
After investigation, it was found that Md Ershad Ullah, Anwar Hossain Russell and Faridul Alam all are from Dauchhari Dakshinkul village of Kachchhia Ward No. 7 villages. Locals said that cigarettes worth crores of taka are coming from Myanmar daily under their leadership.
Yashin Arafat Risad of South Maulvikata of Kachpia Union, Nuru of Fakrikata area, Abdur Rahim of South Dauchhari, Nurul Alam of Haji Para and Abu Taleb of the same village. These 6 smugglers run another syndicate separately.
Recently, after a man named Abul Kashem was killed in a shootout with members of a gang of robbers with members of an illegal cigarette smuggling gang from Myanmar, smuggling gangs have become a topic of discussion in the area.
This gang mainly smuggles cigarettes, weapons for hire, gold bars and cattle. And some people's representatives living on the border, local influencers and political leaders have been playing the role of main collaborators in this work.
Allegedly, some of these political leaders from the ruling party and opposition parties are supporting smuggling syndicates in return for favors.
The reason behind the killing of a bandit and smuggler named Nezam in the gunfight with the BGB on the border of Gorznia on the night of June 2 was cigarette smuggling. The BGB claims that Nezam, a member of the bandit gang, fired at the BGB patrol. Later, Nezam Dacoit was killed when the BGB retaliated in self-defense. Before this, several clashes over the sharing of smuggling money turned Gorznia into a border battleground.
In this incident, on June 4, a case was filed at Ramu police station by Naikshyongchari 11 BGB habildar Md Humayun Kabir. Nizam Uddin, who was killed in the case, has been named as the main accused and 16 others have been named as accused.
Complaints have been made that several crimes including several deaths have been committed in Ramu and Naikshyongchari areas, but since the smugglers are not accused in most of the cases filed, young people are getting involved in smuggling with new encouragement.
It has been reported that several organized trafficking gangs in several villages of Gorznia and Kachpia Unions bordering Myanmar are openly carrying out these trafficking activities. Through whom billions of Tk worth of Myanmar cigarettes is entering Bangladesh every day and Bangladeshi goods are being smuggled into Myanmar. These smuggling activities are going on day and night. In a word, the paradise of smugglers is now Gorznia border.
However, even though law enforcement forces raided and seized smuggled cows, the masterminds of smuggling like Ershad Ullah are out of reach. Millions worth of cigarettes are smuggled in from Myanmar every night. These cigarettes are openly smuggled in different parts of the country at night and even during the day. Especially in the evening, hundreds of smuggled vehicles ply the Ramu-Gorznia road, making all types of traffic and made almost impossible to commute on this important road.
When Ershad Ullah was contacted several times on his mobile phone, he did not answer the phone, so it was not possible to take a statement.
In this regard, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ramu Police Station Md Abu Taher Dewan said, "We are active in the field every day to prevent smuggling." A few days ago, when the smugglers became reckless in their smuggling by avoiding our eyes, we tried to resist it with a strong hand.
Naikshyongchari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Zakaria said I have been trying to stop crime since I joined. You can co-operate us with the data. Action will be taken by the upazila administration.
ZH
