The Bangladesh Coast Guard arrested five human traffickers and rescued 20 victims, including women and children, during a special operation at Kolatoli Beach in Cox’s Bazar on Friday.
Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq said that acting on a tip-off, the Coast Guard conducted a special operation around 3:00 am on Friday. During the operation, the patrol team signaled a suspicious boat to stop. When the boat ignored the signal and attempted to flee, the Coast Guard pursued it and successfully intercepted it near Kolatoli Beach in Cox’s Bazar, said a press release.
A subsequent search of the boat led to the rescue of 20 trafficking victims, including women and children, who were being trafficked to Malaysia, and the arrest of five traffickers, the release added.
Initial interrogation of the rescued individuals revealed that several organised trafficking syndicates had been luring Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals from different parts of the country, including Cox’s Bazar, with promises of a better life abroad, high-paying jobs, and low-cost travel. The groups were allegedly planning to traffic them to Malaysia via sea routes.
Legal proceedings against the arrested traffickers are underway, and necessary actions regarding the rescued victims are being processed.
