Man held as BGB rescues 2 teens 'being trafficked' to Myanmar

The arrestee is a resident of a Rohingya camp in Ukhiya

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have rescued two Bangladeshi teenage boys in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf as they were allegedly being trafficked to Myanmar.

One of the alleged traffickers was arrested during the raid in the Keruntali area on Monday evening, said Lt Col Ashikur Rahman, commander of the BGB's Teknaf Battalion.

The arrestee, 18-year-old Rashed, is a resident of the Block-C at Kutupalong Rohingya Camp No.1 in Ukhiya. He is the son of Syed Alam.

The rescued teens were identified as Mahim, 15 and Sohel, 16. Mahim, son of Ayub Khan, hails from Laldighi Par area of Cox's Bazar, while Sohel is the son of Jasim Uddin from the same area.

Lt Col Ashikur said an organised group of human traffickers have been on the prowl near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf.

On Monday, the BGB received intel about human trafficking operations through the Naf River border in the Keruntali area. Later, the BGB members divided into several teams and launched a raid.

"Sensing the presence of BGB members, a suspicious group of people tried to run away. During the ensuing chase, the BGB was able to arrest one person, but the others fled. Two Bangladeshi teenagers were rescued from the scene."

The arrestee is an active member of the human trafficking ring, Lt Col Ashikur said.

“A case will be filed against him while the boys have been sent to the Teknaf Police Station to be handed over to their families.”