Inflow of yaba on the rise.

The inflow of the contraband Yaba tablets in the country has increased by many times in the recent years despite different measures taken by the government.

All the government agencies seized 19,51393 pieces of Yaba tablets in 2012 from different parts of the country which was only 1,29,644 in 2009, according to the statistics of Department of Narcotic Control (DNC). It soared 14 times within a span of only three years.

"We are not producing drugs. Phensidyl is being produced in India while Yaba in Myanmar, which are posing a serious threat to us due to its availability, transportation advantage and stimulating effect. The intensity of using the drugs will be declined significantly, if we could stop the supply of those," Director General of DNC Mohammad Iqbal told BSS.

After failing to stop inflow of Yaba tablets in the country despite measures of law enforcement agencies, the government has tried to hold talks with Myanmar for long to close the factories of producing those along the borders of the country. But, it did not show any interest.

"We have tried to hold talks with Myanmar since November last to discuss the way out to resolve the problem. But, they have not yet been responded," the DNC DG said.

The decision of holding talks with Myanmar came as supplies of phensidyl have declined significantly as India have already closed down a good number of factories of producing the drug within 50 kilometers of their territory following a talk with Bangladesh.

Indian government has already closed down phensidyl factories with 50- kilometer areas of their territory, though the drug is legal in their country and used as cough syrup following a talk between Bangladesh and their counterpart.

Although the Bangladeshi authorities, the BDR, the police and other concerned authorities have been trying to stop the inflow of Yaba tablets to Bangladesh from Myanmar, yet Yaba tablets are smuggled to Bangladesh through land and waterways.

Initially Yaba was entering Bangladesh territory from Chiang Mei province in Thailand via Myanmar in 1990. Yaba is generally produced in a round pill form. It is brightly colored in red, orange or lime green and carry logos such as "R" or "WY". It is small and round, roughly 6mm in diameter (similar size to Smint but round), and packed inside a regular drinking straw for easy trafficking or in a reusable 'mint' container.

Yaba is known by many names such as Baba, N-series, Guti, Lappy, Chompa, Red rose, Pill, Bichi, Nose...