Maungdaw, Arakan State: Four traders from Maungdaw Township have gone into hiding since October 1, to evade arrest by Nasaka. They were summoned to Nasaka camp on the allegation that they were involved in rice smuggling to Bangladesh, said a friend of the victims.

They are identified as Md. Hussain, (27), Md. Hassan (26), Md. Siddique (25), and Shab Meah (25). They all belong to Kyauk Chaung village of Maungdaw Township.

According to one of the villagers, they are small traders and sent goods from Burma to Bangladesh and again carried goods to Burma from Bangladesh following an understanding with the authorities where they paid money. But, they were not involved in rice smuggling.

They were summoned to Nasaka Sector No. 4 But, because of fear of arrest and torture, they fled.

One of the relatives of the victims said that the authorities gave them a chance to do business with Bangladesh first. But after some time, they were threatened with arrest to extort money from them.  By leveling such allegations on businessmen, the authorities had made a lot of money.