Yaba Seizures in Bangladesh Surge 90 Percent as Myanmar
Bangladesh's Department of Narcotics Control says seizures of yaba and amphetamine-type stimulants rose by more than 90 percent in 2025, with officials pointingControl Act and strengthen enforcement capacity.
Photo Source: The Daily East / AI Illustration
DHAKA, Bangladesh: Seizures of yaba and other amphetamine-type stimulants in Bangladesh surged by 90.58 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to the Department of Narcotics Control's Annual Drug Report Bangladesh 2025, with officials warning that Myanmar-based rebel groups are using the drug as a form of narco-currency to fund their armed operations.
Law enforcement agencies confiscated 43,562,811 amphetamine-type stimulant tablets in 2025, up from 22,857,751 in 2024. In 2023, the figure had stood at 42,977,219 tablets. Amphetamine-type stimulants include synthetic drugs such as MDMA and methamphetamine-based yaba, officials said.
Mohammad Badruddin, additional director of intelligence at DNC headquarters, attributed the sharp rise in seizures to a concurrent increase in both supply and demand for the drug.
DNC Director General Md. Hasan Maruf went further, pointing directly at armed groups operating out of Myanmar. "Myanmar-based rebel groups are using yaba as a form of narco-currency to finance their operations," he said, adding, "With limited access to conduct operations inside Myanmar territory, we carry out drives whenever we receive information about smuggling."
Other Drugs Decline as Yaba Dominates
While yaba seizures climbed sharply, enforcement data showed declining figures for most other narcotics. Cannabis seizures dropped from 114,345.2 kg in 2024 to 96,357.58 kg in 2025. Heroin fell from 502.686 kg to approximately 336.696 kg. Phensedyl bottles seized declined from 572,865 to 319,940, while buprenorphine ampoules dropped from 157,977 to 134,468. Cocaine seizures fell most sharply, from 130.184 kg in 2024 to just 14.651 kg in 2025.
The report identified cannabis as still the most prevalent drug in the country overall, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of all cases detected in 2025.
Government Moves to Strengthen the Law
Speaking at a discussion in Dhaka on Friday, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced that an amendment to the Narcotics Control Act would be tabled in parliament within days. The proposed changes would equip DNC officials with modern weapons and updated training to confront armed drug dealers and smugglers using advanced technology.
Ahmed reiterated the government's zero-tolerance policy against drugs and said legal reforms are also being made on the advice of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre to track money laundering through anonymous SIMs, mobile financial services, one-time passwords, and WhatsApp. He stressed that the government is not limiting its focus to street-level retailers or carriers but is equally determined to bring the masterminds, financiers, and godfathers of the drug trade to justice.
Routes, Methods and Vulnerable Areas
The DNC report highlighted Bangladesh's geographic vulnerability, noting that its position between major drug-producing regions, sharing borders with both India and Myanmar, makes it a prime target for trafficking networks. Yaba and crystal methamphetamine continue to enter primarily through the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, though traffickers are increasingly exploiting coastal, riverine, and other alternative routes to avoid detection.
The report identified several high-risk districts, including Cox's Bazar, Chattogram, Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Narsingdi, Faridpur, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Tangail, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, Pabna, Sirajganj, Bogura, Joypurhat, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Satkhira, Jashore, Kushtia, and Chuadanga. Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, Shahporir Island, St. Martin's Island, and Ukhiya were identified as especially critical trafficking points.
Traffickers are also evolving their methods. According to the report, smugglers are increasingly using social media platforms, online marketplaces, encrypted messaging applications, courier services, and digital payment systems to facilitate operations. Some swallow yaba tablets to evade detection, while others conceal drugs in shoes, walking sticks, and vehicle tyres, or use women and children as unwitting carriers.
Questions Over Political Will
Not all observers are optimistic about the government's response. Towhidul Haque, associate professor at Dhaka University's Institute of Social Welfare and Research, argued that enforcement initiatives have consistently failed to make a lasting impact on drug trafficking.
"Organized groups, from influential quarters to small dealers, are involved in the trade. Since the authorities know the routes, carriers, dealers, and users, the failure to control it raises serious questions," he said, attributing the persistent failure primarily to a lack of political will.
His remarks reflect a broader concern among analysts that without dismantling the political and financial networks that protect the drug trade, surface-level enforcement drives will produce only temporary results.