Coast Guard chases down boat off Saint Martin, seizes 10 tonnes of fertiliser and detains nine smugglers

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained nine people with around 10,000 kilograms of urea fertiliser that was being smuggled to Myanmar, during an operation in the deep sea southeast of Saint Martin's Island in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar. A boat used in the smuggling was also seized.

Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon disclosed the information on Sunday. According to the Coast Guard, the detained boat was illegally carrying about 10,000 kg of urea fertiliser bound for Myanmar, with an estimated market value of 250,000 taka.

Coast Guard sources said that at around 2am on Sunday, acting on a tip-off, a Coast Guard ship deployed in 'Operation Sar Surokkha' carried out a special anti-smuggling operation in the deep-sea area southeast of Saint Martin's Island.

During the operation, the movement of a suspicious boat drew the Coast Guard's attention. When signalled to stop, the boat ignored the signal and tried to flee at speed. The Coast Guard team gave chase and eventually managed to detain the boat in the deep sea.

A search of the detained boat recovered the large quantity of urea fertiliser. According to the Coast Guard, the fertiliser was being carried on the boat for illegal smuggling into Myanmar. The operation seized 10,000 kg of urea fertiliser and the boat used for smuggling.

The nine detainees are Md Furkan (60), A Syed Nur (32), Toufik Islam (34), Md Saddam Hossain (34), Md Iqbal Hossain (35), A Shahjahan (44), Alauddin (44), Md Abbas (47) and Md Rafik Ahmed (60). They are residents of Patiya in Chattogram, Chakaria in Cox's Bazar and the Lakshmipur area.

The Coast Guard said that proceedings for further legal action over the seized fertiliser and boat and against the nine detainees are under way.