Now, Rohingyas peddle narcotics in Hyderabad; 2 held

HYDERABAD: Rachakonda police arrested two Rohingya refugees from Myanmar at Balapur and seized 1,330 ‘Ya Ba’ methamphetamine pills from them. Police arrested the duo and sent the seized pills to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination. Though there were instances of Rohingya refugees getting arrested for obtaining Aadhaar and Pan cards illegally in the city, it was the first time they were caught selling narcotics.

Acting on specific alert, Balapur police laid a trap at Fathima Masjid in Royal Colony of Balapur on Friday morning and arrested Abibus Rahman, 21, a centring worker and Md Rahim, 20, a hotel worker. “The accused confessed that they were indulging in sale of narcotic substance and also confessed that the drug seized is called Ya Ba or WY,” Rachakonda commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said.

The clues team of the commissionerate was called to the seizure spot and in the presence of witnesses and revenue officials the seized pills were tested with drug identification kit, which confirmed that the pills contain methamphetamine and caffeine.

The duo told police that they obtained these pills from a Myanmar national Saleem, who operates from Kolkata, for Rs 50 per pill. The accused were selling each pill for Rs 200 or Rs 300 to customers. A week ago, the duo purchased seven packets containing 1,330 Ya Ba pills from Saleem by paying Rs 66,500 cash.

Apart from Ya Ba pills, police also seized two cell phones, Aadhaar card of Rahim and Rs 26,000 cash from the accused. “The Aadhaar card was obtained with Uttar Pradesh address. We will verify if it was a genuine one or a forged card,” Rachakonda joint commissioner G Sudheer Babu said.

Ya Ba drug produced in Myanmar gets smuggled into neighbouring Thailand and Bangladesh. “Saleem procures the pills from smugglers operating from Bangladesh and supplies it to people like Rahman and Rahim,” Vanasthalipuram ACP, C Gandhi Narayana, said.

The accused told police that people who consume one Ya Ba pill remain active for 48 hours without sleeping. A case was booked against the accused under relevant sections of the IPC and NDPS Acts. They were produced before the court and sent to judicial remand.