Teknaf: Coast Guard and Navy rescue 25 including women and children from human trafficking hideout

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque, media officer of the Coast Guard, confirmed the information on Tuesday (November 4).

He said that based on confessions of previously arrested traffickers and intelligence information, it was learned that some people were being held captive in a remote hill area near Jumma Para, Baharchhara Union, Teknaf, for illegal transport to Malaysia by sea. Based on this information, a joint force conducted an operation from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Monday.

During the raid, 25 individuals, including women and children, were rescued alive from the traffickers’ secret hideout. Two traffickers were also arrested on the spot.

During preliminary interrogation, the arrested traffickers admitted that they had long been involved in organized human trafficking, deceiving local and Rohingya citizens with promises of better life, high-paying jobs, and low-cost foreign travel, and detaining them in the hills. They would later torture the victims to extort ransom.

The rescued individuals have been taken to a safe location, and legal action is being prepared against the arrested traffickers, said Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque. He added, “The Coast Guard is always alert to prevent human trafficking, drugs, and smuggling in the country’s coastal areas.”