The Coast Guard has detained 12 people and seized a lighter vessel carrying smuggled coal worth over Tk 1 crore under Kotwali Police Station in Barishal.
Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq confirmed the development on Friday morning but did not disclose the identities of those detained.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Barishal station launched a raid around 5 am near Charmonai Anand Ghat. During the operation, they stopped a suspicious lighter vessel and recovered 1,100 metric tons of smuggled coal, valued at approximately Tk 1.1 crore, Lt Cmdr Siam-ul-Haq said.
Initial questioning indicated that the coal had been illegally transferred from a foreign ship anchored at Mongla’s Hiran Point under false pretences.
