Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Burmese youth detained ‘with 1,000 speed pills’

 
Tuesday, 27 April 2010 17:26 Nyein Chan

Dhaka (Mizzima) - A Burmese national has been arrested for alleged drug-trafficking by Bangladeshi border guards near the southernmost mainland border town of Teknaf in Chittagong division, sources close to the situation said.
Teknaf-based Bangaldeshi Rifles troop No. 42 detained Shu Ku, 24, on Saturday at Asia Body village, about three miles (five kilometres) south of Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district, after he crossed the border illegally from No. 4 Quarter, Butheetaung Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State. He was allegedly carrying 1,000 amphetamine pills worth about 2 million kyats (US$2,000).

An amphetamine pill is worth between 150 and 400 Bangladeshi taka in Bangladesh, or 1,000-3000 kyats in Burma. The exchange rate is 1 taka to 14.20 kyat on the Bangladesh-Burma border.

On the Naf River, which forms a border between Bangladesh and Burma, Teknaf has a reputation as a smuggling hot spot.