The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-15) rescued 13 individuals from a house in the border town of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, who were being held for illegal trafficking to Malaysia via the sea.
Acting on a tip-off, an operational team from the RAB-15 CPC-1 Teknaf Camp conducted a raid around 1:30am on Tuesday in the South Lambari area of Teknaf Sadar Union.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) AM Faruk, assistant director (Law and Media) of RAB-15, confirmed the information.
He said an organised human trafficking gang had forcibly detained several men and women at the residence of one Mariam Begum. The gang reportedly planned to traffic them to Malaysia by sea and collect ransom.
According to the official, the traffickers managed to escape after sensing the presence of the elite force.
However, the team successfully rescued 13 victims from the premises. The rescued group includes six Bangladeshi men, four Rohingya men, and three Rohingya women.
RAB-15 has identified several suspects involved in the incident, all of whom are currently at large. They are Md Saiful, 38, Md Malbik Kamal, 46, Md Faisal, 27, Md Jafar, 36, and Md Saiful Islam, 24, all residents of the Teknaf police station area. Additionally, five to six unidentified individuals have been named as accused in the case.
ASP Faruk further noted that the security of the rescued victims has been ensured, and the process of filing a case at the Teknaf Model Police Station is currently underway. RAB operations continue in an effort to apprehend the remaining members of the trafficking ring.
