Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained 11 people attempting to smuggle cement to Myanmar, seizing 600 sacks of cement during a maritime operation.
Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam ul Haque confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
He said a special operation was launched at 10pm on Wednesday in the sea area southwest of Cheradiya Island of St Martin’s after officers received secret information.
Coast Guard personnel searched a suspicious fishing boat and recovered 600 sacks of cement that had been loaded illegally for smuggling to Myanmar by evading duties and taxes.
The seized cement is valued at Tk330000, and all 11 people on board were detained, according to the Coast Guard.
Lieutenant Commander Siam ul Haque said operations will continue to curb smuggling and illegal trade, adding that legal procedures are under way involving the seized goods, the boat used for smuggling and the detainees.
On Saturday, Coast Guard members detained eight smugglers with 375 sacks of cement near the mouth of the Myanmar Bakkhali River, and on 24 November, nine people were arrested with 450 sacks of cement from the St Martin’s coast.
