Teknaf: Ten Burmese nationals were arrested on Monday by the Bangladesh Navy and a timber smuggling boat was seized on the Naff River when it entered Bangladesh territorial waters via St. Martin Island in the mouth of the Naff River, said a businessman in Teknaf.

He said, "They were arrested by the Bangladesh Navy and the timber smuggling boat was seized but authorities did not arrest them for smuggling timber. It was for smuggling banned alcohol and beer to Bangladesh markets from Burma."

Bangladesh authorities seized 70 tons of hardwood, 360 bottles of Burmese-made whiskey, and 30 cartons of beer after searching the boat.

"Bangladesh authorities have allowed timber from Burma to be exported to Bangladesh through the Teknaf border port even though exporting timber to Bangladesh is illegal in Burma. Bangladesh does not allow timber production within its own borders so the country imports timber from Burma illegally," he said.

Burmese timber syndicates have been exporting timber to Bangladesh through the Teknaf Port for the past decade with the help of local Burmese army authorities.

An Arakanese from Taungup said, "The hardwood is now rare in Arakan Roma after the smuggling syndicates have been exporting the timber to Bangladesh for many years irresponsibly. Now the syndicates have turned to the Irrawaddy Delta and Thaninthayee Division to harvest timber to be smuggled out to Bangladesh."

According to a border source, the seized timber boat is owned by a businessman from Sittwe, but the timber had been taken from Bomi Chaung in the Irrawaddy Delta. The timber was also owned by a businessman from Pathein, the capital of Irrawaddy Division.

The arrested Burmese nationals were handed over to the Teknaf police station by Bangladesh naval forces for interrogation regarding the smuggled alcohol and beer.

Bangladesh police are now preparing to charge them with entering the country illegally as well as with drug trafficking for smuggling the alcohol and beer into Bangladesh, where such imports are banned. Charges are expected to be filed today with the Cox's Bazaar magistrate court.