Two missing teens from Chattogram rescued in Teknaf hills, three Rohingya arrested

Police have rescued two missing teenagers from the hills of Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar and arrested three Rohingya men, alleging the victims were trafficked to Malaysia.

The operation took place on Tuesday morning in the Baroitoli hills of Teknaf.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Sab Mia, 35, Shah Alam, 35, and Mohammad Hussain, 41.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (North) Aminul Islam told a press briefing on Tuesday night that the boys had gone missing from the Chandgaon area on Feb 1. 

Initially recorded as a disappearance, the case was later upgraded to a human trafficking investigation following a complaint by one of the victims' fathers on Feb 26.

During the investigation, police arrested two suspects in Chattogram, followed by Md Mamun from Chandpur’s Matlab and Md Mostafa from Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar. 

Based on Mostafa’s confessional statement, officers conducted a drive in the Kutupalong Rohingya camp.

Police said Mostafa is a member of a child trafficking network linked to Malaysia. 

Investigating officer Zayed Abdullah Bin Sarwar, sub-inspector of Chandgaon Police, said the boys were held in the Teknaf hills for a week before being sent to Malaysia by trawler. 

"Under the pressure of our ongoing raids, the traffickers were forced to send them back to Bangladesh," Zayed said.

Police said the trafficking network involves operatives from Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand, along with Rohingya. 

The rescued teenagers told reporters that the suspects Mostafa and Mamun lured them from Chattogram through a mutual acquaintance, promising a trip before handing them over to traffickers.

The victims bore visible injury marks and alleged they were beaten while captors demanded ransom from their families.