ALARMING USE OF YABA IN POSH AREAS

The use of Yaba had been sweeping through the youth populace in the
city's posh neighbourhoods until the recent hauls.

It began to spread at an alarming pace since the launch of a massive
clampdown on heroin and Phensidyle dealers about a year ago. More
and more youths in areas like Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and
Dhanmondi switched to the deadly pills with heroin and Phensidyle
becoming less available.

Yaba, Thai for 'crazy medicines', however has been the drug of
choice among a section for quite a long time now. But as most of the
pushers were from families having close connection with the past
governments they could not be tough on them, leading to its steady spread.

A narcotics official seeking anonymity told The Daily Star, "We did
not dare to challenge the suspected traders though we knew well how
some people in luxury cars were peddling the drug."

A high official of the police said, "Most of the users are students
of private universities, colleges and A- and O-level. They thought
they were above the law in the last five years. But the situation
changed after the caretaker government came to office. We have been
working without interference for the last one year and the recent
hauls are a result of those sincere efforts."

Citing information gleaned at different times, Sub-Inspector Belayet
Hossain of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) told The Daily
Star recently that around one-sixth students of the city's private
universities might be hooked on Yaba, a composite of methamphetamine
and caffeine. Even more chilling is the way students of
English-medium schools are getting into it.

He added that after the recent seizures many students are coming to
them to describe how the drug has been playing havoc with their fellows.

"We now fear maybe well over 20 percent of the students are taking
Yaba regularly," observed Belayet adding that not only those from
affluent families but also the ones from higher middle class and
middle class are turning to Yaba.

He said they would be able to have solid information in this regard
after an extensive survey that they are planning to launch across
the educational institutions in the city next month.

Most of the pushers themselves are in the dangerous trade mainly to
bear the whopping cost of their daily drug needs.

According to the Narcotics Control Act, if the quantity of
amphetamine does not exceed five grams, imprisonment for a term
shall not be less than six months and shall not exceed three years.
But if the quantity is more than six grams, the term shall not be
less than five years and shall not exceed 15 years.

Acting deputy director of DNC Mukul Jyoti Chakma said Yaba began to
roll on to the local scene at the turn of the millennium. Its use
took a sharp upward turn in 2005.

Initially, a pill would sell at Tk 800 to Tk 1,000. But with supply
becoming plentiful over the last few years the price has come down
to Tk 200-500 depending on quality, said sources close to the trade.

Although one of the key functions of the DNC is to gather
information on drug use and trafficking routes, none of its
officials could give an estimate of how many might be in Yaba trade.

A user who this correspondent had managed to talk to said, "I know
over 20 people alone in Dhanmondi area who sell Yaba. Now you do the
math how many are there in the entire city."

TRAFFICKING ROUTE

During the late 90s, Yaba would be smuggled in from Thailand in
small amount. Since 2000, it began to enter the country in large
numbers from Myanmar through Teknaf border. Now there is a vast
cartel operating on either side of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.

An investigation by The Daily Star reveals that dealers in the
source area never go out of their localities. They employ mules for
the tablets to reach the capital. Some dealers from Dhaka would
prefer ferrying the pills themselves from Teknaf and Cox's Bazar
since there had been little risk of being busted on the way.

A youth who along with a friend was involved in the trade shared
with this correspondent a detailed account of how they operated. He
said they got into the business after a friend from a rich family
convinced them how they could make some fast buck out of it.

They were smart enough to hit the right spot in Teknaf. They did not
have to go anywhere; their Teknaf connection arranged it all. All
they had to do was carrying the pills to Dhaka which was anything
but risky then.

Like many others in the business, they would wear specially tailored
shirts to carry the drug. The shirts are made in a way that whenever
one raises his/her arms the hidden pockets move out of the area to
be searched. Unless the law enforcers did a strip-search it was hard
for them to find the tablets.

Most of the time the two would carry around 500 pills and take
passenger buses. Around a year ago they would buy a pill usually at
Tk 100 and sell that to dealers in Dhaka for Tk 200-220. The end
users would have to count Tk 350-Tk 500.

Initially, it was tough to win the confidence of the dealers in
Dhaka as they suspected the two might be planted by police or Rab.

Asked for some names of those who are active in the capital, he said
he knew only two major dealers--one in his late thirties would
operate from a Chinese restaurant in Maghbazar and the other from
his house located between Star Kebab crossing and Abahani Club in
Dhanmondi area.

Meanwhile, a police official said they suspect that besides
smuggling, the sellers depend on clandestine laboratories as well to
produce the pills.

Thursday's arrest of Amin Huda and his associates with a huge cache
of Yaba tables has only firmed up the apprehension.

MODUS OPERANDI

The traders first target one or two students to be their mules. They
pick usually those who are already on some kind of drugs since they
are easier to be pushed into taking the pills. At the beginning,
they supply Yaba for free but once the youths get dependent,
they begin charging them. Eventually they make them peddle the
tablets among fellow students for the money needed to meet their own
daily doses.

Besides being able to feed their addiction, the pushers make a hefty
amount out of the business.

TYPES, USAGE METHOD AND EFFECTS

Of several types of pills smuggled into Bangladesh, 'Golapjam' or
'Golapi' or 'Golap' (pink pill) is the most widely used for its
longer duration of action and potency. Then come 'Laal Kutta' (red
dog), green, mango, orange and others.

These tablets are usually about the size of the end of a drinking
straw. They come in different flavours.

According to the US Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) fact sheets on Yaba, effects of its usage
include addiction, psychotic behaviour, and brain damage. Chronic
use can cause violent behaviour, anxiety, confusion,
insomnia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances,
delusions, and paranoia.

A former seller in Dhaka said fake Yaba tablets that come mainly
from the Mitford hospital area pose an even more risk since a mix-up
over maintaining the proportion of ingredients could mean a disaster
for the users.

Yaba can be consumed in various ways. It can be smoked, snorted,
injected or orally ingested. The most preferred way is having it
like heroin. In this method, users place the tablet on aluminium
foil and heat it from below. They smoke the vapours that rise after
the pills are melted.

Though it increases the addiction potential and more adverse health
consequences, the technique is popular because in that way it
reaches the brain cells faster, leading to stronger kicks.