In addition to the traffic in illegal arms and explosives,the district is also known for poppy cultivation, presenting dangerous prospectsfor narco-terrorism. In areas, along the international border and in the upperreaches of the Singu River, such as Mraung Gound, War New Chaung, Late CrayChaung, Yin Bound, Late Chaung, Site Chaung and Thit Poke, local tribals havebeen cultivating poppy for many years. To begin with, the cultivation wasprimarily for the production of raw opium. However, there have been reports thatthe Islamist militants are getting very closely involved in the trade.Intelligence reports indicate that the JMB, the JMJB, the Harkatul Jihad and theAhle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh have entered into the lucrative trade ofcultivating poppy locally under the supervision of top militant leaders. Thishas been further confirmed by arrested JMB cadres in the aftermath of the August17 country-wide bombings. Bangladesh’s Army conducts yearly operations todestroy poppy cultivations, but the effectiveness and reach of such routineoperations remains a matter of debate.