Coast Guard seized 9,500 liters of smuggled palm oil in Hatiya
Noakhali Correspondent
Bangladesh Coast Guard seized a substantial consignment of tax-evaded unrefined palm oil valued at approximately Tk 15.67 lakh during a special operation in Hatiya Upazila of Noakhali on Sunday morning.
Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan, Media Officer at Coast Guard Headquarters, confirmed the seizure in an official release issued on Sunday afternoon.
Acting on a confidential tip-off, an operational team from Coast Guard Station Hatiya conducted a targeted drive at around 6:30 am near the Nalchira Ghat area under Hatiya Police Station. During the drive, officers intercepted a wooden engine boat carrying 9,500 liters of illegally imported crude palm oil intended for domestic market distribution without paying customs duties.
Sensing the presence of the maritime security force, the smugglers abandoned the vessel and fled into the surrounding area, preventing any immediate arrests. Coast Guard personnel seized both the contraband consignment and the wooden boat utilized for smuggling operations.
Legal proceedings regarding the confiscated palm oil and the seized vessel have been taken and the Coast Guard official reaffirmed that anti-smuggling drives across coastal channels will continue.
