In a joint operation in the hilly area of Baharchhara, Teknaf, the Coast Guard and Navy rescued 25 women and children, including both Bangladeshi and Rohingya individuals, who were being held for the purpose of sea trafficking to Malaysia. Two alleged traffickers were arrested during the operation.
According to Coast Guard officials, the rescue followed intelligence information and statements from previously detained traffickers, indicating that groups were being gathered and kept in remote, difficult-to-access terrain before being transported to the coastline. The victims were held near Jhumma Para, in an area described as difficult to detect and reach.
The rescued individuals stated that they had been promised travel to Malaysia and were later held captive and pressured for money, with threats of violence. Organized trafficking networks are reported to be luring people from Teknaf and other regions under false assurances of work and safety abroad.
The Coast Guard reported that legal proceedings are underway regarding the arrest of the suspected traffickers and the processing of the rescued individuals. Investigations into additional trafficking groups connected to the case are continuing.
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