St. Martin’s, Sept 20 (V7N) – The Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained 10 suspected smugglers along with a large consignment of food and consumer goods during a special operation near Chera Dwip, an isolated part of St. Martin’s Island in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.
 
According to a press release issued on Saturday by Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Hoque, the operation was carried out late on the night of September 18 based on intelligence reports. For months, a smuggling network has allegedly been trading Bangladeshi products for narcotics, including yaba tablets and alcohol, brought in from Myanmar.
 
The Coast Guard vessel Kamruzzaman intercepted a fishing boat in the area around 11 p.m. During the search, officials seized approximately 10,000 kilograms of lentils, 2,500 kilograms of garlic, 2,500 kilograms of onions, 1,000 kilograms of testing salt, 150,000 mosquito coils, and 10,000 pieces of Royal Tiger energy drinks. The estimated market value of the seized goods is about Tk 37.7 lakh.
 
Authorities confirmed that the items were being smuggled illegally into Myanmar to evade customs duties. The seized goods, the fishing boat, and the detained suspects are now under legal processing for further action.
 
The Coast Guard stated that operations will continue in order to curb cross-border smuggling and drug trafficking in the Bay of Bengal.
 
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