C T Online Desk: A joint operation by the Bangladesh Coast Guard and the Navy has rescued 66 people, including women and children, who were being held captive by human traffickers in the remote hills of Baharchhara in Teknaf.
Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque confirmed the development on Friday morning. Acting on intelligence that a large group of people had been detained in the hills with the intention of trafficking them by sea to Malaysia, the two forces launched a joint operation on Thursday evening.
The raid, conducted from 6pm to 10pm on 18 September, uncovered a traffickers’ hideout on a hilltop where the captives were being kept. All 66 individuals were rescued safely.
During questioning, the rescued victims revealed that organised trafficking syndicates had lured them with promises of high-paying jobs, better living conditions, and opportunities to travel abroad at little or no upfront cost, with repayment to be made later through employment.
The syndicates reportedly gathered Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals from Teknaf and other areas, detaining them in secret hideouts in the hills before planning to smuggle them by boat to Malaysia via the coastal areas near Marine Drive.
Victims also alleged that traffickers had attempted to extort ransom by torturing them while in captivity.
Officials said that traffickers managed to escape when they sensed the presence of the joint forces. No arrests were made during the operation, but surveillance and follow-up raids are underway to capture those involved.
The Coast Guard and the Navy have pledged to continue such operations to combat human trafficking networks. “The joint forces will persist with intelligence-led operations to prevent human trafficking and protect vulnerable people from such syndicates,” said Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque.
