Myanmar armed factions turn to ‘narco-currency’ as Bangladesh drug seizures surge 90%

A collapsing security landscape along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border has fuelled a massive 90.58 percent year-on-year surge in methamphetamine and stimulant pill seizures in Bangladesh, driven by armed groups increasingly using illicit narcotics as a liquid currency. Data compiled by the Bangladesh Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) reveals a drastic escalation in westbound drug trafficking originating from Myanmar’s volatile Rakhine and Chin States, which directly share borders with Bangladesh. According to DNC Director General Md. Hasan Maruf, Myanmar’s armed factions are aggressively utilizing methamphetamine tablets as “narco-currency” to sustain operations, presenting an evolving national security threat. The DNC head emphasized that Bangladeshi authorities are intensifying counter-narcotics efforts despite the challenges of securing a chaotic frontier. He stated that the agency consistently executes raids and targeted searches the moment actionable intelligence regarding drug smuggling rings is received. The security vacuum enabling this surge stems from intense territorial fighting on the Myanmar side of the border. Salai Tin Mi, a spokesperson for the Chin Brotherhood one of the active resistance coalitions acknowledged that the ongoing conflict has broken down traditional law enforcement. He explained that neither the central military junta nor regional resistance forces maintain absolute territorial control over the borderlands. This lack of authority creates weak, overlapping pockets where drug trafficking networks easily thrive. While asserting that the Chin Brotherhood has conducted independent arrests and seized illicit shipments in an effort to enforce the rule of law in its sectors, the spokesperson conceded that deep-seated regional instability continues to act as a powerful catalyst for underground drug networks. In response to the growing sophistication of the trafficking rings, Bangladesh is preparing to heavily upgrade its frontline defence. The DNC Director General announced that personnel will soon be equipped with modern weaponry and advanced tactical training specifically designed to match and neutralize tech-savvy, heavily armed drug traffickers.