“A fishing trawler with more people was suspected, chased and seized by coast guard on December 24 which was going to the deep sea crossing nearby Saint Martin Island,” according to Coast Guard official.
According to one of the boatpeople, “We were boarding to an engine boat since December 20, from Soyonkhali river of Sokoria upazila under the Cox’s Bazar district for Malaysia sea voyage. But, the engine was stopped and the trawler has been floating in the sea for three days after giving trouble by engine.”
“A fishing boat rescued us but dalal (agent) accompanied by driver (Maji) taking their equipment fled to the seashore by taking another boat at night.”
“The arrestees are - 11 Rohingyas and 12 Bangladeshis who were handed over to the Teknaf police station, filing a case against sea voyagers.”
“The Coast Guards are red alert for 24 hours 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 Mohamed Abu Taher (22), son of late Mohamed Ismail, hailed from Akyab (Sittwe) accompanied by one Bangladeshi was arrested by BGB of Shapuri Dip when driving an engine boat at the Bangladesh side. He has no any document. Later, they were sent to Teknaf police station, said BGB Company Commander Shabuddin.
Similarly, police arrested 23 more Malaysia-bound people, including 13 Bangladeshis and 10 Burmese nationals, from different areas of the 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 rest were rounded up from Al Farid Hotel in Laldighir Par area 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 each to the agent in advance and the rest money (Taka 70,000) will be paid after reaching at Thailand or Malaysia, said another boatpeople.
Police said sea voyagers were 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 at dead of night with the aim to illegally enter the South-East Asian country.
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