Police in Cox’s Bazar arrested a retired army member on Thursday night for allegedly using a vehicle bearing Bangladesh Army stickers to smuggle 28,000 Yaba pills.
The operation took place at the Central Bus Terminal checkpost. Authorities intercepted a luxury Land Cruiser attempting to flee a stop signal. Upon searching the vehicle police discovered the narcotics—valued at approximately Tk 8.4 million—cleverly hidden beneath the seats.
The arrested suspect Obaidul Hasan is a former Lance Corporal who retired in 2019. Originally from Bogura and currently residing in Gazipur Hasan claimed he drove to Cox’s Bazar earlier that day and denied knowing how the drugs ended up in his vehicle.
Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Mohammad Ali called the use of military insignia for smuggling a “highly sensitive” issue. Police have filed a case under the Narcotics Control Act and are actively investigating whether Hasan is part of a broader organized syndicate.
This arrest highlights an alarming trend of smugglers exploiting state identities to bypass law enforcement. Somen Mandal Deputy Director of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) in Cox’s Bazar confirmed that intelligence surveillance has been increased to combat this tactic. Just weeks earlier on July 15 the DNC arrested three individuals in Ramu Upazila carrying 6,000 Yaba pills in a car displaying a Ministry of Home Affairs sticker.
Authorities warn that such crimes not only threaten public safety but also damage the credibility of key state institutions.
