Coast Guard foils smuggling bid, detains 23 smugglers with fertilizers bound for Myanmar
Staff Correspondent
The Bangladesh Coast Guard apprehended 23 suspected smugglers and seized a massive consignment of fertilizers intended for illegal smuggling into Myanmar.
Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan, media officer for the Coast Guard, confirmed the details on Saturday morning.
According to the Coast Guard, acting on a tip-off, a special operation was conducted by Coast Guard Outpost Patenga at approximately 7:00 AM on Friday in the outer anchorage area under Patenga Police Station in Chittagong. During the raid, security personnel searched two suspicious fishing boats and detained 23 individuals. Initial interrogation revealed that a cargo boat carrying fertilizers meant for illegal trafficking to Myanmar was stationed in the Karnaphuli channel under Patenga.
Based on the intelligence gathered, another special operation was launched at 10:00 AM the same day by Coast Guard Base Chittagong near the Patenga No. 15 Ghat area. Sensing the presence of the operational team, the smugglers on board the cargo boat managed to flee. A subsequent search of the vessel led to the seizure of 450 sacks (22,500 kilograms) of DAP fertilizer valued at approximately BDT 1.575 million, along with the cargo boat used in the smuggling attempt.
The seized evidence, confiscated boat, and the detained suspects are currently being processed for handover to Patenga Model Police Station for the initiation of necessary legal proceedings.
The Coast Guard reiterated that its active operations to curb smuggling will continue.
