Bangladesh Coast Guard has seized a large quantity of cement, tar, soft drinks, and pharmaceutical products while they were being smuggled to Myanmar in exchange for narcotics.
Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque, Media Officer of the Coast Guard gave this information in a press release on Wednesday night.
The press release said that, acting on secret intelligence, it was learned that a smuggling syndicate was planning to exchange Bangladeshi goods for yaba tablets, liquor, and other narcotics from Myanmar. Based on the tip-off, on Tuesday afternoon at around 5 p.m., members of the Coast Guard Station Cox’s Bazar conducted a special operation in the Loboner Ghona area near Bordia under Maheshkhali Police Station.
During the operation, the Coast Guard team searched the area and recovered a total of goods worth approximately Tk 13.65 lakh, including 500 sacks of cement, 23,088 cans of energy drinks, 284 gallons of tar, 500 bottles of Geo Vita syrup, and 135 kg of nylon thread, which were being prepared for illegal export to Myanmar to evade customs duties.
The smugglers managed to flee the scene upon sensing the presence of the Coast Guard, so no arrests were made. Legal procedures regarding the seized items are currently underway.
The press release further stated that the Bangladesh Coast Guard will continue such operations in the future to curb smuggling and protect national interests.
