Ukhiya, Sept 18 (V7N) – Police have rescued an eight-month-old Rohingya boy who was allegedly abducted from the Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhiya and subsequently sold twice, while five people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
The suspects allegedly demanded Tk 70,000 in ransom after abducting the child and later sold him first for Tk 15,000 and then for Tk 30,000, according to police.
Members of the 14 Armed Police Battalion (APBn) rescued the child during a raid in the West Morichya area of Haldia Palong Union on Wednesday night. He was found in the custody of Maimuna Akter and her husband, Nurul Amin.
Mohammad Siraj Amin, additional deputy inspector general and commander of 14 APBn, confirmed the matter on Thursday afternoon.
According to police, the child’s mother, Tayeba Begum, a resident of Block B-2 of Kutupalong Camp-2 West, went to Kutupalong market on Sept 6 with her seven-year-old niece Rehena and her eight-month-old son Kader.
When they reached a pharmacy in the market, Tayeba’s former husband, Md Rashid Alam, allegedly took the infant away from her.
Police said Rashid later contacted Tayeba by phone and demanded Tk 70,000 as ransom, threatening to sell the child if the money was not paid.
On Sept 15, Rashid was called to Tayeba’s shelter in Camp-2 West as part of an effort to locate and recover the child. During questioning, he allegedly told police that he had sold the child for Tk 15,000 to Taslima Akter with the help of his current wife, Rujina Akter.
Police subsequently brought Taslima and Rujina to the shelter for questioning. Based on information obtained from them, investigators learned that the child had allegedly been sold for Tk 30,000 to Maimuna Akter and her husband, Nurul Amin, in West Morichya.
A police team led by Suman Bhakta, inspector and operations officer of the Balurmath Police Camp, later conducted a raid in West Morichya and recovered the child from Maimuna and Nurul’s custody.
The five arrested suspects were identified as Rashid Alam, 30; his current wife, Rujina Akter, 28; Taslima Akter, 25; Maimuna Akter, 29; and her husband, Nurul Amin, 38.
Commander Siraj Amin said the child had been rescued and five people arrested in connection with the incident.
“Legal proceedings are under way and a regular case will be filed,” he said.
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