The Bangladesh Navy has detained a total of 273 people, including women, men, and children, while they were attempting to go to Malaysia illegally by sea. Preliminary information suggests that the majority of those detained are Rohingya.
They were detained on Saturday night. The navy’s media wing confirmed this information on Sunday afternoon.
Naval sources stated that suspicious movement of a wooden boat was noticed in the deep sea, about 30 miles southwest of Saint Martin’s Island. When a navy ship signaled the boat to stop, it disregarded the signal and attempted to flee quickly. Subsequently, the boat was detained through an immediate chase.
Preliminary interrogation of the detainees revealed that they had started their sea journey with the aim of going to Malaysia illegally with the assistance of a broker network. Ten members of the broker network were also present on the detained boat.
The navy stated that the detained boat did not have minimum life-saving equipment, sufficient food and clean water arrangements, or necessary safety measures. Had the journey continued in the deep sea under these conditions, there was a risk of a major humanitarian disaster. Timely and effective action by the navy has prevented that disaster, they said.
The detained boat and the associated individuals have been handed over to Teknaf police station for subsequent legal measures.
It was stated that the Bangladesh Navy remains firm and committed to ensuring the security of the country’s maritime boundaries, preventing human trafficking and smuggling, and countering all types of criminal activities at sea.
