Teknaf: Joint forces have successfully rescued 66 individuals, including women and children, who had been confined in a secluded mountain hideout in Teknaf. The operation was carried out by the Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard, who launched an extensive rescue mission at Kachchhpia hill under Teknaf upazila from 6 pm to 11 pm on Thursday.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the rescue mission resulted in the liberation of 22 men, 23 women, and 21 children. Coast guard officials revealed that the majority of those rescued are Rohingya and Bangladeshi citizens. Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq, media officer of the Coast Guard Headquarters, stated that efforts are in progress to identify and apprehend members of the smuggling gang responsible.
The operation was initiated following intelligence that individuals were being held against their will in the hilly areas. The joint forces discovered several hideouts belonging to kidnappers and human traffickers atop the deep hill. Haq further mentioned that the identities of the rescued individuals are currently being verified, and they will subsequently be reunited with their families.
A case will be filed with Teknaf police station in connection with the incident. According to locals, some individuals were abducted from Teknaf and neighboring regions, then confined in a hilly hideout with plans to smuggle them to Malaysia via trawler. The organized gang reportedly took the hostages to the mountainous den at gunpoint and demanded ransom.
In response to this incident, law enforcement agencies have heightened intelligence activities in the Teknaf area to curb such criminal activities.