By Mainul Islam Khan
DHAKA, Bangladesh
Bangladesh authorities have recovered mass supplies of highly addictive pills known as the "madness" drug on Thursday.
The Border Guard of Bangladesh found 10 million pieces of the drug, known as Yaba, in the southeastern town of Comilla.
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Zakir Hossain confirmed the recovery to reporters but said the pills had been abandoned, so there was no one to arrest.
Last week, authorities also recovered 1.5 million Yaba tablets from the port city of Teknaf, near the border with Myanmar.
Yaba, a mixture of caffeine and methamphetamine, can create an intense hallucination that enables users to stay awake for days and is produced largely in Southeast Asia.
Regular use of the drug has been linked to lung and kidney disorders, hallucinations and paranoia.
"Yaba is generally used as a body stimulant so that the user can stay awake for days without sleep," said psychiatrist Dr. Shamsul Ahsan Maksud. "Long time use might leave someone with various severe psychological disorders, so it is not used for medical purposes."
