7 people rescued from Myanmar hideout, 4 arrested
News Desk
Cox’s Bazar Police rescued seven people, who wanted to go to Malaysia through an illegal way, from a detention center in Myanmar under the grip of an organized human trafficking gang.
Four members of the organized trafficking gang, including a woman, have been arrested in the incident.
Cox’s Bazar Police Sadar Circle additional superintendent Mizanur Rahman confirmed this information in a press conference organized at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Police Station on Monday around 2:30 PM.
The arrested are Belal Uddin, 28, a resident of Lengur Bill area under of Teknaf upazila, Mahfuza, 22, of Lafar Ghonar area, Abdullah, 55, of Golarpara area, and Ayachh, 26, from Buchidang of Myanmar.
The rescued persons are Raihan Uddin, 28, Habib Ullah, 16, Raihan Kabir, 16, Alamgir, 18, Safar Ali, 17, Shaukat Aziz, 18, Mamun Mia, 21.
The police official in the press conference said police was confirmed that an organized human trafficking gang lured some teenagers and youths from Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Chakaria, Maheshkhali, Ukhia of a better life in Malaysia and held them hostage. Then they were first taken to Lengur Beel area of Teknaf and then to the detention center in Myanmar on the way to the sea. There the kidnappers tortured and demanded ransom money from their relatives over phone.
The police official further said their relatives paid various amounts of money to the traffickers after receiving information about the torture. Later, with the help of information technology, the police identified the members of the trafficking gang and arrested four people. After that, the seven people were brought back from Myanmar to the beach area of Teknaf on Sunday night through the arrested persons.
Legal action is under process in this regard, the police official added.