9 traffickers arrested, Rohingyas among 50 rescued in Cox's Bazar
The nine arrested suspects are residents of different areas of Teknaf Upazila
The Coast Guard has arrested nine human traffickers and rescued 50 people, including Rohingyas, during an operation in Teknaf Upazila of Cox's Bazar, as they were allegedly being prepared for transport to Malaysia by sea.
Among those rescued were 11 Rohingya refugees and 39 Bangladeshi nationals from Cox's Bazar and other districts, said Lt Commander Md Muttakin Siddiqui, Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard's Teknaf Station at a press conference today (6 June).
According to the Coast Guard, the operation was carried out between 6pm and midnight on Friday as part of routine efforts to combat maritime human trafficking. Acting on intelligence inputs, personnel from several Coast Guard outposts conducted a coordinated special operation.
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The nine arrested suspects are residents of different areas of Teknaf Upazila.
Lt Cdr Muttakin said the Coast Guard received information last evening that a group of people was being transported by trawler from the Teknaf coast with the intention of trafficking them to Malaysia. Following the tip-off, surveillance was intensified across coastal points in the area.
During the operation, Coast Guard members intercepted a suspicious trawler after ordering it to stop. The alleged traffickers attempted to flee upon sensing the presence of law enforcers.
However, the officers managed to seize the vessel and conduct a search, rescuing 50 victims allegedly being transported for trafficking, along with the arrest of nine suspects, he added.
Muttakin further said organised trafficking networks lure both Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya refugees to Teknaf with promises of well-paid jobs abroad and a better life. Victims are then reportedly kept in secret locations, subjected to abuse, and pressured to pay ransom.
He also said the traffickers had planned to smuggle the victims by sea to Malaysia and other countries.
Legal proceedings against the suspects are being prepared under relevant laws, and a case is expected to be filed with Teknaf Police Station, according to the Coast Guard official.
