Refugee Camps: Killings, narco crimes on rise

Crimes, particularly those related to narcotics and murders, have witnessed a significant rise inside the Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps over the last seven months.
At least 43 Rohingyas have been killed in the camps in the first seven months this year. The figure was 132 from August 25, 2017, to December 31, 2022, according to police data.
Rohingya leaders said Myanmar-based armed groups Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) and Arakan Solidarity Organisation (RSO) are mainly responsible for those killings. The murders were carried out in order to gain control of the narcotics and arms trade inside the camps.
Officials, however, blamed the uncertainty over the Rohingya repatriation for the rising crimes.
"Arsa and RSO have been committing crimes to get their hand on different trades, including narcotics and arms trades. Their objective is to impede the repatriation process by creating chaos," said Mohammed Zobayer, a Rohingya leader and also the chairman of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Mizanur Rahman said delay in repatriation is one of the main reasons why crime is on the rise.
Also, different Rohingya groups clashed over "drug peddling" due to unemployment of Rohigyas, Mizanur told The Daily Star.
"Their reluctance to cooperate with the law enforcers stems from their mindset that they are stateless," he said.
Police records show that a total of 3,223 cases were filed against the Rohingyas between August 25, 2017 and July 31, 2023 for 14 criminal offences, including narcotics and arms smuggling, rape, abduction, and killing.
The figure was 2,438 in the first five years since the Rohingya influx began on August 25, 2017.
Mahfuzul Islam, superintendent of police in Cox's Bazar, also thinks that the increase in criminal activity is the result of the delayed repatriation process.
"There is a sense of despair among the Rohingyas because they don't see any hope for repatriation soon. Crime levels had not been that high in the last few years, but the recent data shows that they are on the rise," he told The Daily Star on Monday.
Mahfuzul stressed the need for conducting counseling, motivation, and awareness campaigns for the Rohingyas to cut the crime rate. "These efforts would help instill confidence in them about repatriation," he said.
Officials said both ARSA and RSO have been operating in the Rohingya camps for years, but the law enforcement agencies used to deny it. They, however, have recently admitted the presence of the two armed groups.
The Rapid Action Battalion says some 400 to 450 ARSA members are currently active in the Rohingya camps and they are collecting arms from a neighbouring country to engage in criminal activities.
Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab's legal and media wing, said these groups collaborate with armed factions from a neighboring country and carry out criminal activities, including abduction and murder.
"They are mainly involved in narcotics smuggling, particularly ICE and yaba pills, which earns them a big amount of money," he told The Daily Star.
Rab is active in the recovery of firearms and dismantling of arms factories linked to the armed groups, he said.
Moin stressed that these security threats should be addressed holistically by the law enforcement agencies. He suggested relocating the Rohingyas from border areas to maintain law and order more effectively.
Source in Armed Police Battalion (APBn) said that both RSO and ARSA are trying to establish control of the camps. On July 7, a gunfight between the two criminal groups left five people dead at Balukhali Rohingya camp-8 in Ukhiya. All the victims were ARSA members.
These armed groups are particularly targeting the Rohingya community leaders to assert control over the camps and silence the voice against them.
According to police data, at least 33 Rohingya community leaders, locally known as Majhi, have died this year alone at the hands of the two armed groups.
RRRC Mizanur suspects that there is a plot against the Rohingya community leaders. "The fact that the community leaders are being targeted indicates that someone aims to stop the Rohingya leadership."
Mahmudul Haque Chowdhury, founder of Rohingya Repatriation and Prevention Committee, alleged that Myanmar is influencing ARSA and RSO to perpetrate criminal activities, including murder, inside the camps. "Their objective is to obstruct Rohingya repatriation."
Apart from ARSA and RSO, six other criminal groups are reportedly active inside the camps. The six -- Nobi Hossain Group, Munna Group, Dakat Hakim Group, Dakat Saleh Group, Islamic Mahas Group, and Al Yeakin, -- are involved in various criminal activities and sabotage, according to law enforcers.
Mizanur said efforts are underway to raise awareness and provide education to Rohingyas with the aim of engaging them in constructive activities.
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