Coast guard seizes weapons in operation on meghna river
The Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) confiscated firearms and ammunition during a special operation on the Meghna River in Gazaria, Munshiganj, targeting a group involved in extortion, robbery and kidnapping on inland waterways.
Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq confirmed the development on Saturday at noon, stating that intelligence sources had identified a group of criminals operating in the Kalirchar Guagachha area. Acting on this information, a joint operation was carried out at midnight on 15 March by the BCG Dhaka Zone, in coordination with the Gazaria Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and an Executive Magistrate.
During the operation, officials identified and signalled a suspicious wooden boat to stop. However, the individuals onboard ignored the signal, pushed the ship towards the riverbank, and fled. A subsequent search of the vessel recovered one foreign-made pistol, five rounds of live ammunition, and a locally made firearm. The seized weapons and boat are being handed over to Gazaria Police Station for legal proceedings.
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The Coast Guard maintains 24-hour patrols to ensure the safety of lighters, coasters and other vessels operating on the country's inland waterways. Regular patrols, rapid-response operations, mobile courts and joint enforcement measures have significantly reduced incidents of robbery, smuggling, drug trafficking, kidnapping and illegal sand mining in areas under BCG jurisdiction.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard remains committed to upholding law and order and ensuring the security of internal waterways through continued vigilance and operations.
