The Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained five individuals along with 150 bags of cement, worth about Tk 80,000, while they were attempting to smuggle the goods into Myanmar, evading customs and taxes.
Lieutenant Commander Harun-ar-Rashid, Media Officer of the Coast Guard, provided this information in a press release on Friday afternoon.
According to the statement, around 2:00 am on Thursday, a patrol team from the Coast Guard Outpost at Patenga intercepted a suspicious wooden boat in the Karnaphuli Channel under Patenga Police Station in Chattogram. Upon inspection, the team discovered that the boat was carrying 150 bags of cement being smuggled to Rakhine State in Myanmar without paying applicable customs duties.
All five individuals onboard were taken into custody. Legal proceedings are currently underway concerning the seized cement, the arrested suspects, and the boat used in the smuggling attempt.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard continues round-the-clock patrols to maintain national security and prevent smuggling activities. These operations have significantly improved law and order in coastal and riverine areas under Coast Guard jurisdiction. Similar anti-smuggling operations will continue in the future, according to the Coast Guard.
