Teknaf, Bangladesh: The Coast Guard arrested 23 sea voyagers attempting to make their way to Malaysia on December 24 near Saint Martin Island. The police arrested the 23 voyagers in Cox’s Bazar while the group was boarding a fishing trawler on December 25, said a fisherman from Shapuri Dip who declined to be named.
“Another fishing trawler with more people was suspected, chased, and seized by the Coast Guard on December 24. It was going to the deep sea crossing nearby Saint Martin Island,” according to a Coast Guard official.
According to one of the boatpeople, “We were traveling on an engine boat since December 20 from Soyonkhali River of Sokoria Upazila under Cox’s Bazar District for the voyage to Malaysia. But the engine failed and the trawler had been floating in the sea for three days.”
“A fishing boat rescued us, but the dalal [agent], accompanied by the driver, took their equipment and fled to the seashore by taking another boat at night.”
“The arrestees are 11 Rohingya and 12 Bangladeshis who were handed over to the Teknaf Police Station after the officers filed a case against the sea voyagers.”
“The Coast Guard is on red alert 24 hours a day for human trafficking from the Bay of Bengal to Malaysia,” said Coast Guard Officer Masood Sickdar of Saint Martin
In addition, on December 24, at about 8:30 pm, another Rohingya named Mohamed Abu Taher (22), son of late Mohamed Ismail, accompanied by one Bangladeshi, was arrested by the BGB of Shapuri Dip while captaining an engine boat on the Bangladeshi side. He did not have any documents. Later, the two were sent to Teknaf Police Station, said BGB Company Commander Shabuddin.
Similarly, police arrested 23 other Malaysia-bound people, including 13 Bangladeshis and 10 Burmese nationals, from different areas of Cox’s Bazar town early yesterday. Of them, six were held at Bak Khali`r Ghat in Nuniarchhara, one was held at Shahid Swaranir More, and the others were rounded up from Al Farid Hotel in Laldighir Par after midnight.
Of the arrestees, five hailed from Jessore, two from Bogra, two from Pabna, four from Narsingdi, and the rest, including the two brokers, are Burmese nationals.
The boatpeople have to pay Taka 20,000 to 30,000 per person to the agent in advance, and the rest of the money (Taka 70,000) will be paid after reaching Thailand or Malaysia, explained another boatperson.
Police said sea voyagers had been gathering at the Ghat of Cox’s Bazar from different parts of the town as part of their plan to get on a boat and sail for Malaysia during the night with the aim to illegally enter the Southeast Asian country.
