Staff Reporter:
A joint team of the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard has rescued 21 people, including women and children, from a traffickers’ hideout in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, where they had been held captive for trafficking to Malaysia.
The rescue took place around midnight on Wednesday in the deep forest area of Karachipara under Baharchhara union. However, no traffickers were arrested during the operation, the Coast Guard confirmed.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque, media officer of the Coast Guard headquarters, said the operation was based on intelligence. Acting on the tip-off, the Navy and Coast Guard launched a joint raid at 11 pm Wednesday night.
He said the captives had been confined with the intention of smuggling them to Malaysia by sea. During the raid, traffickers fled after sensing the presence of law enforcement, making it impossible to detain them.
Siam-ul-Haque added that surveillance and operations by the Navy and Coast Guard are ongoing to arrest those responsible.
