Among those detained were four Bangladeshis and eight Rohingyas
Representational image/Collected
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Representational image/Collected
Members of the Bangladesh Coast Guard detained 12 suspected smugglers along with 6,000 litres of diesel during an anti-smuggling drive in Chattogram’s Patenga area early yesterday (4 April), officials have said.
Among those detained were four Bangladeshis and eight Rohingyas, they added.
Acting on a tip-off, a coast guard team from the Patenga outpost conducted the operation around 6am in Bahinnagar under Patenga. They intercepted a suspicious boat and seized diesel worth an estimated Tk6.24 lakh, which was allegedly being smuggled to Myanmar by evading customs duties.
The team also seized six gas-filled cylinders, Tk15,896 in cash, and the boat used to transport the fuel, said Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan, media officer for the coast guard.
Coast guard authorities suspect the same boat was being prepared for human trafficking, with plans to transport around 150 to 200 people to Malaysia.
The coast guard said the seized goods and detainees will be handed over to the police for legal action.
It added that such drives will continue to curb smuggling and maritime crimes along the coast.
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