COX’S BAZAR, April 1 (V7N) — A massive security and administrative sweep across the Ukhia and Teknaf border regions on Wednesday resulted in the dismantling of human trafficking and kidnapping syndicates, the seizure of illegal narcotics, and a major crackdown on fuel hoarding. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Navy successfully rescued 15 fishermen who had been adrift in the Bay of Bengal for four days

In response to growing reports of artificial fuel scarcity, the Cox’s Bazar district administration conducted a marathon six-hour raid on Wednesday, targeting filling stations across Ukhia. Led by Executive Magistrate Mahmudur Rahman Sayem, the mobile court filed four cases and imposed fines totaling Tk 2.35 lakh.

M/s Chowdhury Filling Station (Kutupalong): Fined Tk 75,000 for meter manipulation and discrepancies in sales registers.

M/s Yusuf & Brothers (Palongkhali): Fined Tk 50,000 for concealing information and hoarding excess fuel stocks.

M/s Chowdhury Filling Station (Holudia Palong): Hit with the heaviest penalty of Tk 1.10 lakh across two cases for a combination of hoarding, misinformation, and faulty metering.

Ukhia Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rifat Asma warned that these drives will continue until the artificial crisis is resolved.

Despite the administrative raids, motorcyclists at the M/s Chowdhury Filling Station in Marichya Palong alleged continued harassment. Customers reported that the station manager refused to sell octane before 5:00 PM, falsely claiming he had "orders from the UNO office" to restrict sales.

Even after UNO Rifat Asma personally intervened via phone to clarify that no such time limit exists, witnesses alleged the station only provided a nominal amount (Tk 100 worth) to a few riders before stopping supply again. Reports suggest the station is secretly selling fuel at inflated prices behind closed doors while turning away the general public.

The Bangladesh Navy executed a life-saving mission on Tuesday after spotting a disabled fishing trawler near Saint Martin’s Island. The vessel had suffered a total engine failure on March 27, leaving 15 fishermen drifting toward deep international waters without food or fresh water.

A regular Navy patrol team spotted the craft 6 nautical miles west of the Saint Martin’s lighthouse. The exhausted crew was brought to the Navy Forward Base at Saint Martin’s, where they received medical care and rations before being reunited with their families in Ukhia on Wednesday.

RAB-15 Elite Forces dismantled a sophisticated kidnapping syndicate operating out of the hills of Teknaf. Following a tip-off regarding a ransom demand, the first raid on March 30 in Hnila rescued one victim, Anwar Islam (28).

A follow-up operation in the early hours of March 31 targeted the Noapara Rohingya Camp and adjacent hills, leading to the rescue of two more victims, Arifur Rahman (24) and Maruful Islam (17). Five members of the gang—including two women and several Rohingya refugees—were arrested. The suspects were identified as Mo. Rafiq, Mo. Sirajul Islam, Rabi Alam, Arafa Begum, and Noor Begum.

In a separate late-night operation on Monday, RAB-15 stormed a house in the Dakshin Lambari area of Teknaf Sadar, rescuing 13 people held hostage by a human trafficking ring. The victims—comprising 6 Bangladeshi men, 4 Rohingya men, and 3 Rohingya women—were being prepared for a perilous sea voyage to Malaysia.

The traffickers reportedly intended to extort large ransoms from the families once the victims were at sea. While five ringleaders managed to flee during the raid, RAB has launched a manhunt to track them down.

The Coast Guard intercepted a drug smuggling attempt on the Teknaf Marine Drive Wednesday morning. Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Baharchara Outpost stopped two "Easy Bikes" (battery-run rickshaws) in the North Shilkhali area.

A search yielded 115 liters of locally made liquor valued at approximately Tk 1.03 lakh. One suspect, Nazim Uddin (19), was apprehended, while another trader abandoned his vehicle and disappeared into the nearby forest. Both Easy Bikes were seized as part of the legal proceedings.

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