The Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained 11 individuals and seized a large consignment of fertilizer during an attempt to illegally smuggle it to Myanmar’s Rakhine state via the Bay of Bengal.
Coast Guard Headquarters’ Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Harun-ar-Rashid confirmed the matter on Thursday morning.
The operation also led to the confiscation of the trawler used for trafficking.
According to officials, the detainees are residents of Rohingya camps located in Chittagong district and Ukhiya upazila.
Lieutenant Commander Harun-ar-Rashid stated that around midnight on Wednesday, personnel aboard the Coast Guard vessel Mansur Ali detected a suspicious fishing trawler near the deep sea off Saint Martin’s Island in Teknaf. Given the ongoing 58-day fishing ban, the trawler’s presence raised red flags.
When signalled to stop, the trawler attempted to flee. However, after a brief chase, the Coast Guard intercepted the vessel.
A subsequent search uncovered 742 sacks of urea fertilizer being smuggled without customs clearance.
The 11 individuals on board were immediately detained.
The recovered fertilizer has been handed over to the Teknaf Customs House warehouse, and the trawler has been transferred to Teknaf Police Station.
Legal proceedings are underway, and a case is being prepared under the applicable laws, confirmed Lieutenant Commander Harun-ar-Rashid.
