Yaba peddlers surrender: Eight of them are Bodi’s relatives

As many as eight of the yaba traffickers who have surrendered to police are relatives of Abdur Rahman Badi, the former Awami League MP alleged to be the ‘kingpin’ of yaba trade in Teknaf.

Four of them are his brothers, two are cousins, one is a nephew and one a brother-in-law.

As many as 102 yaba traffickers surrendered in the presence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at Cox`s Bazar on Saturday as they seek a return to regular life.

The traffickers, including 24 people who are named as ‘godfathers’ on the government’s anti-narcotics list, surrendered at an event on the Teknaf Pilot High School ground.

They are Abdur Shukkur, 33, Shafiqul Islam alias Shafiq, 29, Aminur Rahman alias Abdul Amin, 41, Faisal Rahman, 29, Kamrul Hasan Rasel, 35, Maung Aung Thane alias Momchi, 48, Md Sahed Rahman Nipu, 33 and Sahed Kamal alias Sahed, 32.

Badi’s another brother-in-law named Akhtar Kamal was on the list of yaba dealers. He was killed in a so-called gunfight with law-enforcing agencies after the anti-drug drive started last year.

Badi, the former MP of Cox's Bazar-4 constituency, was also named as the 'kingpin' of yaba trafficking on the list prepared by the Department of Narcotics Control.

Last year, as many as 151 yaba traders were named on the list of the home ministry. Among them, the 73 were identified as the top yaba godfathers. Badi's name is at the top of all the lists, including the latest one.