Teknaf, Oct 26 (V7N) — In two separate overnight operations in Teknaf upazila, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and a joint team of the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy rescued a total of 19 victims from human traffickers and arrested four suspects linked to organized smuggling networks operating along the coast.

In the first operation, BGB rescued 14 people and detained three alleged traffickers during coordinated raids late Friday and early Saturday. The detainees were identified as Abu Taher, 69, his wife Dildar Begum, 38, and Mohammad Shafi, 32 — all suspected members of a long-running human trafficking syndicate. They were later handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station for legal proceedings.

According to BGB officials, the first raid took place Friday night at Noakhali Para under Ward No. 9 of Teknaf Municipality, where eight victims were rescued from Abu Taher’s residence and two suspects arrested. Another operation around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday in the Dakshin Lombori area led to the rescue of six more victims, moments before they were to be smuggled by sea to Malaysia. One more trafficker was detained, while others escaped under the cover of darkness.

BGB confirmed that the detainees had long been involved in trafficking Bangladeshi nationals to Malaysia via the Bay of Bengal. The rescued victims were reportedly promised overseas employment through illegal sea routes.

Lieutenant Colonel Ashiqur Rahman, psc, Commanding Officer of the Teknaf Battalion, said, “Tonight was a bad night for traffickers and organized criminals. We will continue our strict surveillance along the border areas to prevent human trafficking and ensure public safety.”

In a separate joint operation, the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy rescued four women and a child from the hills of Habirchhara in Teknaf, where they had been held by traffickers preparing to smuggle them to Malaysia. One suspected trafficker was arrested during the midnight raid around 2 a.m. on Saturday, following a tip-off.

The operation was confirmed at a press briefing on Sunday afternoon at Teknaf Coast Guard Station by Station Commander Lieutenant Commander Salauddin Rashid Tanvir. He said the victims were rescued from a hidden shelter used by the traffickers.

Lieutenant Commander (BN) Siam-ul-Haque, media officer of the Coast Guard, stated that legal action is underway concerning both the rescued victims and the detained suspect. He reaffirmed the Coast Guard’s firm commitment to combating human trafficking, drug smuggling, and other illicit maritime activities across Bangladesh’s coastal waters.

Authorities said both operations demonstrate ongoing efforts by security forces to dismantle transnational trafficking networks and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation along the country’s southern maritime borders.

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