The Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained nine smugglers accused of smuggling Bangladeshi food and consumer goods to Myanmar in exchange for yaba, alcohol and other narcotics.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq, media officer of the Coast Guard, confirmed the arrests in a press release issued on Tuesday.
Acting on intelligence that a group was preparing to bring drugs from Myanmar in return for Bangladeshi products, the Coast Guard Station in Cox’s Bazar launched a special operation near the Bakkhali estuary around 11am on Monday.
During the raid, a suspicious fishing trawler was intercepted. A search uncovered a large consignment of goods allegedly being smuggled without customs declaration.
The seized items included 29 sacks of flour, 28,000 gas lighters, 4,800 mosquito coil packets, 28 sacks of garlic, 624 packs of soap, 70 sacks of DAP fertiliser and 96 bottles of soybean oil. The Coast Guard estimated the total market value of the goods at Tk 13.7 lakh.
Nine individuals on board the trawler were arrested. They have been identified as boatman Dil Mohammad, 38; Abul Kamal, 59; Saisang, 63; Salauddin Kader, 38; Afsar, 30; Abdul Khalek, 50; Md Yunus, 60; Taiyab Golam, 61; and Mizan, 25.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq said legal procedures regarding the confiscated trawler and goods are underway. He added that anti-smuggling and anti-drug operations by the Coast Guard will continue.
