Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the police in separate drives have detained 43 Rohingya refugees and arrested two human traffickers in Cox’s Bazar as they were attempting to travel to Malaysia.
A dozen Rohingya refugees, along with two traffickers, were detained from the city’s Bazarghata area on Thursday morning.
The two traffickers were identified as Nurul Islam, a Bangladeshi, and Nizam Uddin, a Rohingya.
RAB 7 Cox’s Bazar Camp Company Commander Major Mehedi Hasan confirmed the news and said: “Acting on a tip-off, members of the elite force conducted a drive at a city hotel, where the refugees were staying and planning to cross over the ocean to Malaysia.”
“During the raid, two human traffickers were also arrested in this connection,” he added.
On Wednesday, 31 Rohingya refugees, who also intended to travel to Malaysia on trawlers, were detained from Sonadia island in Maheshkhali upazila.
Maheshkhali police station Officer-in-Charge Probash Chandra Dhar said: “Acting on a tip-off, police detained the refugees from Mogchar area.”
The detainees are refugees who escaped from Ukhiya-Teknaf camps.
The authorities concerned said the refugees would be sent back to the camps and the traffickers will face legal action.
