Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-15) rescued three men who were abducted for ransom from remote hills in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.
RAB said they carried out drives in separate locations at Karachi Para and Hnila areas under Teknaf Sadar union. The victims were rescued at around 9:30pm on Thursday.
RAB-15 Assistant Superintendent of Police and Assistant Director (Law and Media) A M Faruk said “We conducted the operation based on intelligence information in the deep hills adjacent to Karachi Para and Hnila Bazar area.”
Sensing the presence of RAB, the abductors fled the scene, leaving the victims behind. The force later rescued the three men unharmed from the spot, he added.
The rescued victims are Zakir Ahmed, 42, Nur Hossain, 22, and Ayat Ullah, 22. They are residents of South Muhuri Para on Link Road in Cox’s Bazar Sadar upazila.
According to RAB sources, unidentified individuals lured them on 10 April with offers of masonry work and called them to Teknaf bus stand. The abductors later took them by CNG-run auto-rickshaw to a remote hilly area at Karachi Para in Rajarchhara and held them hostage.
The abductors demanded Tk5 lakh in ransom from their families over mobile phone and threatened to kill them.
The victims’ families filed two general diaries with Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station on 12 April.
A M Faruk said RAB operations are ongoing to identify and arrest those involved. The rescued victims have been handed over to their families.
