Tripura: Assam Rifles seize 2.6 lakh Yaba worth Rs 52 crore

Guwahati: The Assam Rifles has seized a staggering 2.6 lakh Yaba tablets from the Khayerpur area in West Tripura district of Tripura.

The narcotic substance is valued at Rs 52 crore in the international market.

Based on intelligence input, troops of the Assam Rifles recovered the consignment of narcotic drugs from a vehicle.

The addictive tablets were wrapped in several rolls of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) floor mats.

Troops of the paramilitary force also seized a vehicle used in trafficking of the consignment of contraband items.  

However, no individual has been apprehended in connection with the recovery of the narcotic substance.

The seized items were later handed over to the customs department in the state’s capital Agartala for further legal proceedings and disposal.

Ya ba (crazy medicine) is a drug containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine. It was formerly known as yama (horse drug).

Yaba addictive tablets are widely used in Southeast Asia. Yaba is typically produced in a round pill form and there are many different versions of it.

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The most common are red, pink, orange or lime green in colour and carry logos such as R or WY.

These tablets are typically consumed orally. Another method of consuming it is called chasing, wherein the tablet is placed on an aluminum foil and heated from below which produces vapours that are then inhaled. 

Yaba addictive tablets are also administered by crushing them into powder which is then snorted or mixed with water and injected.

When swallowed in tablet form, the duration of its effect lasts for 8 to 16 hours as compared to 1 to 3 hours when chased.

The peak of its effect is followed by a comedown period lasting between 6 and 10 hours during which the user may have difficulty in sleeping or eating.

Many substance users say that it takes them up to 24 hours to be able to sleep after using it.

Its users are mostly working males in the age group of 16 to 40 years and also common among both female and male sex workers in Thailand and Cambodia.

Myanmar is the largest producer of methamphetamine in the world and the majority of Yaba tablets are produced in Thailand.