6,000 litres of diesel being smuggled to Myanmar seized off Patenga coast

The boat carrying the fuel was planned to be used for “human trafficking”, says an official

Coastguards have seized 6,000 litres of diesel and detained 12 people, including eight Rohingya, off the coast of Patenga in Chattogram for allegedly trying to smuggle the fuel to Myanmar.

The diesel was found on a motorised boat at the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port on Saturday, said a Bangladesh Coast Guard media statement.

The detained Bangladeshi nationals were identified as Abdul Mannan, Shakib, Md Saker and Syed Alam.

And the Rohingya men are Abu Taher, Syed Hossain, Enamul Hasan, Hamidul Haque, Md Saker, Md Ayas, Mohammad Faruk and Paran.

Coastguards spokesperson Lt Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan said the boat was being used to smuggle the diesel into Myanmar.

The detainees are “human traffickers”, who planned to send 150-200 people to Malaysia using the boat, he said.

The coastguards also seized six gas cylinders and Tk15,800 in cash during the raid.

The next course of legal measures was under way against them, said the Coast Guard official.

The raid comes amid a nationwide crackdown against illegal hoarding of fuel following a supply crunch driven by the Iran war.

On Thursday, 37,000 litres of diesel were seized from a lighter vessel in the Karnaphuli River. The port authorities at that time said the fuel was stored illegally.

On Mar 27, police announced the seizure of nearly 6,000 liters of diesel “illegally stockpiled” in Chattogram.