Backed by ISI the Yaba Pill of Myanmar, which funds Rohingya terror India

New Delhi, Jan 29: The Indian agencies have on numerous occasions flagged the issue relating to the Rohingyas who are taking refuge in India. Amidst all the security concerns that have been raised, there are a few voices who urge for a more human approach towards them.

If one were to look at it from the security point of view, the Rohingya are a nightmare. They have been used as an excuse by groups such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Lashkar-e-Tayiba to spread terror in India. They are vulnerable to terror recruitment. The National Investigation Agency in its probe into the Bodh Gaya blast case clearly states that it was carried out to espouse the cause of the Rohingyas.

These are clearly indirect links. However, the new problem that our Indian agencies face is with regard to the Rohingyas being used by the ISI and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh to push drugs into the country.

Indian agencies have told the Union Home Ministry about the rise in smuggling of the Yaba pills. It is rampant on the Indo-Bangladesh border, the agencies say and in recent times, the Rohingyas have been used to carry these drugs into the market.

As usual the Pakistan link too has emerged in this. The operation according to the agencies is backed by the ISI. The proceeds from this ISI-JMB backed racket are given to the Arkan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), who in turn use it to purchase arms.

An Intelligence Bureau officer tells OneIndia that the smuggling of Yaba pills is the latest modus operandi to raise funds for the ARSA. While they still indulge in counterfeiting of fake Indian currency, smuggling of Yaba pills is the bigger problem today.

It may be recalled that in 2018, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said, " India's anti-nacrcotic bureau had seized large quantities of yaba pills, which contain a mixture of meth and caffeine."

Officials say that the drugs are being brought in by the Rohingyas with the help of the ISI and JMB from Myanmar. They land in Bangladesh and then is also channelised into India. The smuggling of this drug peaked between 2017 and 2018 and continues to remain rampant, officials also said.

This is not just a concern for India, but for Bangladesh as well. Authorities in Bangladesh too have blamed the Rohingyas for the rise of Yaba pill smuggling from Myanmar. Further there have been nearly 70 Rohingyas who have been arrested on charges of Yaba pill smuggling in Bangladesh.

Intelligence Bureau officials also say that apart from smuggling the drug in from Myanmar, in recent times, some units have come up in India, which manufactures the drug. While some of these units have been busted, the primary concern is about the Rohingyas upping the ante and smuggling this drug.

The drug after it lands in India, is pushed into several cities such as Mumbai, Kolkaka, Bengaluru and Mumbai. On a yearly basis, the proceeds from the smuggling of this drug is around Rs 60 to Rs 70 crore. A large part of this amount is channelised to the ARSA, which in turn uses the money to purchase arms, recruit terrorists to carry out attacks.

What is the Yaba pill:

To start with this pill has many names. It is referred to as 007, madness drug, Nazi speed and in India Bhul Bhulaya. The drug is made up of caffeine and methamphetamine or crystal meth. The tablet is red in colour.

Users most commonly smoke the drug of the tinfoil. It is also infested orally or crushed and snorted. The caffeine to meth ratio varies, but the potent drug makes up for nearly 20 per cent of Yaba. One of the biggest of the drug is Thailand, but Myanmar remains the largest producer.