The Bangladesh Border Guard and the Rapid Action Battalion in a joint operation arrested three human traffickers and rescued 84 people who were being held captive in the remote hills of Teknaf for trafficking to Malaysia or Thailand.
The arrestees are Abdullah, 21, from Uttar Kacchapia village under Baharchhara union, Saiful Islam, 20, and Md Ibrahim, 20, both from Rajachhara village under Bottoli union 鈥� all in Teknaf upazila of Kox鈥檚 Bazar district, said a press release issued by the BGB on Monday.
According to the release, BGB Battalion-2 and RAB-15 conducted the operation for about 12 hours on Sunday.
Earlier, acting on a tip-off, BGB Teknaf-2, led by its commander Lt Col Ashiqur Rahman, conducted a raid at Baharchhara Kochchopia hills on Saturday, arresting one trafficker and rescuing four victims.聽
On information provided by those rescued, Teknaf-2 BGB and RAB-15, led by commander Lt Col Kamrul Hasan, launched a large joint raid on Sunday in the hilly areas, including Kochchopia and Rajachhara.聽
During the operation, 84 people, including both Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya camp residents, were rescued from several hideouts.
Law enforcers recovered a one-shot gun and a single-barrel shotgun, as well as a foreign pistol, two locally made sharp weapons (ramdas), a knife, and three live bullets.
Legal proceedings were under way in connection with the incident, the release added.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Coast Guard and the Bangladesh Navy in a joint operation on Thursday night rescued 66 people, including women and children, held captive in the remote hills of Teknaf for trafficking.
