A cargo ship loaded with Burmese woods was seized by the Bangladesh navy on 27 November 2013. The navy personnel also detained 10 Burmese nationals from the cargo ship, said an official on duty.
The seized woods are suspected to be smuggled timber items, weighing few tons, which were captured from ST Martin Island locality in Bangladesh water.
The Burmese wood enjoys a high demand in Bangladesh and it becomes a regular practice for many Burmese businessmen to export the timbers to their neighbouring country.
According to the official source, the Bangladesh navy officials seized the timbers worth over Taka 100 million as the sailors could not produce any valid documents issued by the concerned authority.
The Bangladesh agency asked for any permit which was issued for exporting the timbers from Burma to Bangladesh, but they failed.
Later the detained Burmese nationals with the seized items on the cargo were handed over to Bangladesh police.
The Burmese businessmen often export various items like rice, timber, cattle etc to Bangladesh through water routes by the cargo ships & motor-boats. In case of the items are carried without the valid papers, the Bangladesh authority sometimes allow it taking additional taxes to generate revenues for their country.
