Bangladesh started a major "Yaba" crackdown in mid-May, 2018 in response to a surging trade of "Yaba". Fifty-two accused drug dealers were confirmed killed in the first 10 days of the operation. According to a Bangladesh Police spokesperson, about 15,000 people were arrested in nationwide raids in the first three weeks of the operation. 22,000 people were arrested from mid-May 2018 to July 2018 as a result of alleged involvement in the drug trade. According to Odhikar, a Dhaka-based human rights group, 211 drug suspects were killed from mid-May 2018 to July 2018, more than a third of whom were arrested first. Most of the killings followed a common script: alleged drug dealers died in "gunfights", usually at night, with weapons and drugs discovered near the deceased drug dealers.
