No bodies were found at a human traffickers’ hideout in the remote hills of Rangikhali in Hnila union of Teknaf, a border town in Cox’s Bazar.
Earlier, reports had circulated that three bodies were lying at the hideout.
Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Saiful Islam said joint forces launched an operation on Saturday morning to locate human traffickers’ hideouts in the western hills adjacent to the Rohingya refugee camps. No bodies were found and no one was arrested during the operation.
On the afternoon of 4 November, an Army member was killed by gunfire from criminals during a raid on a human trafficking hideout in the Rangikhali hills. During the operation, joint forces rescued 56 victims, including six Rohingya and 50 Bangladeshis. They also arrested six members of the human trafficking syndicate. A pistol, a locally made firearm and four rounds of ammunition were recovered from the scene.
Soon after the operation, reports emerged that three more bodies were lying at the hilltop hideout. Against this backdrop, a 35-member joint team comprising the Army, Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and Special Response Battalion (SRB) launched an operation in the hills to search for the bodies and locate new hideouts used by human traffickers.
However, no one was arrested during the operation. Bullets, empty cartridge cases, national identity cards (NIDs) and a driving licence were recovered from the scene.
The operation was conducted at around 6am that day in the hills beside C Block of the Nayapara Registered Rohingya Camp in Hnila union of Teknaf.
The operation was led by Major Mahbub, camp commander of the Hnila-Rangikhali Army Camp, with the participation of Army personnel, members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) 64 Battalion, 15 SRB personnel, police and local residents.
During the operation, joint forces personnel took positions near the IOM hospital in Rohingya Camp-24. Drones were also used to search and monitor the hilly areas.
Meanwhile, another 35-member team comprising the Army, APBn and SRB conducted a separate operation on the western side of Nayapara Registered Rohingya Camp on the same day. No suspected members of the robber gang could be arrested during that operation either.
Later, six rounds of ammunition, empty cartridge cases, national identity cards (NIDs), a driving licence and various household items and utensils used for cooking were recovered from a hideout used by human traffickers.
The OC of Teknaf Model Police Station said the operation had been concluded for the time being, but further raids would be conducted if necessary, depending on the overall situation.
