Human trafficking attempt thwarted in Teknaf, 21 rescued
The raid was conducted around midnight on Wednesday (1 October) in the Karachipara Ghat area of Baharchhara Union in Teknaf Upazila, said Coast Guard spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq
The Coast Guard and the Navy have rescued 21 people, including women and children, who had been held hostage in the remote hill areas of Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, with the intention of being trafficked.
The raid was conducted around midnight on Wednesday (1 October) in the Karachipara Ghat area of Baharchhara Union in Teknaf Upazila, said Coast Guard spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq.
He said the forces had received information that several people, including women and children, were being confined in a house near Karachipara Ghat to be smuggled to Malaysia by sea.
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A joint team of the Coast Guard and Navy launched the operation, but as they closed in, the traffickers managed to flee the scene.
"Later, during a search of the hideout, 21 people, including women and children, were rescued. Most of them are Rohingya nationals," Siam-ul-Haq said.
The rescued individuals have since been handed over to Teknaf police to be reunited with their families, he added.
According to law enforcement sources, as of Wednesday (1 October), 68 human traffickers have been arrested in Teknaf this year, while 20 trafficking victims have been rescued. Authorities note that trafficking attempts tend to rise during the winter season.
