Coast Guard rescues 44 migrants from ‘secret’ trafficking camp in Teknaf

The Bangladesh Coast Guard have rescued 44 people, including women and children, from a “secret lair” in the remote hills of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, where they were allegedly confined for trafficking to Malaysia.

The operation was conducted throughout Thursday night in the deep hill areas of Teknaf. However, the traffickers fled the scene and no arrests were made.

The details were disclosed at a press briefing on Friday afternoon at the Bangladesh Coast Guard’s Teknaf Station by its commander, Lt Com Salahuddin Rashid Tanvir.

He said the Coast Guard received information at midnight that a group of people, including women and children, were being gathered for illegal immigration by sea.

The raid was carried out from around 2am until 7am on Friday. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, seven to eight men escaped under cover of darkness, he added.

The 44 individuals were later found at the traffickers’ “secret shelter” on the hilltop.

“Several organised criminal groups are active in maritime human trafficking,” Lt Com Tanvir said.

“They lure both Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi citizens with promises of high-paid jobs, better living conditions and low-cost or even free passage abroad. They then detain the victims and torture them to get ransom.”

The rescued individuals have been handed over to the police so they can be reunited with their families, he added.

The Coast Guard says it has rescued 186 people during similar operations in the Teknaf hill areas over the past two months.