A train steward has been arrested in Chattogram after the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) reportedly recovered 4,850 yaba tablets from his shoulder bag during an operation at Chattogram Railway Station.
The detainee has been identified as 20-year-old Md Mahabur Rahman, a resident of Nolchhia village in Melandaha upazila of Jamalpur. RAB-7 confirmed the arrest and seizure on Tuesday.
According to RAB, its members launched the operation following information that a steward travelling on the Cox’s Bazar Express was allegedly carrying a consignment of yaba, a tablet-form stimulant that is illegal in Bangladesh. A team took position at Platform No. 5 of Chattogram Railway Station to monitor the train’s arrival.
The Cox’s Bazar Express, travelling towards Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar, reached the station at around 4.02pm on Monday. RAB personnel reportedly noticed Mahabur Rahman as he was getting off the train from coach ‘J’. The authorities said he attempted to flee after noticing the presence of the law enforcement team, but was subsequently detained.
A search of the black shoulder bag he was carrying allegedly led to the discovery of 4,850 yaba tablets wrapped in black polythene. RAB estimated the seized drugs to have a street value of approximately Tk 1.46 million.
The seizure is significant in terms of quantity and highlights the continued efforts of law enforcement agencies to intercept illegal drug shipments moving through transport networks. Railway services connect major cities and regions across Bangladesh, making stations and trains important points of transit. Law enforcement agencies have regularly conducted operations at transport hubs to prevent the movement of narcotics and other contraband.
However, the circumstances surrounding the alleged consignment remain under investigation. Details about where the tablets were allegedly collected, their intended destination and whether other individuals were involved were not immediately disclosed.
A.R.M. Mozzafar Hossain, assistant director (media) of RAB-7, said Mahabur Rahman was handed over to Kotwali Police Station for further legal proceedings. A case has been filed against him under the country’s narcotics control laws.
The investigation is expected to focus on the source and intended destination of the seized yaba, as well as any possible links to a wider trafficking network. The allegations against the detained man will now be dealt with through the legal process, while investigators continue to establish the full circumstances of the case.
