Bangladesh Coast Guard Arrests 18 Traders for Smuggling Cement and Diesel Toward Arakan State
The Bangladesh Coast Guard has arrested 18 traders attempting to smuggle cement bags and diesel fuel from Bangladesh toward Arakan State, according to Bangladeshi authorities on January 4.
Officials said the arrests were made in separate operations during routine patrols near Saint Martin’s Island. Boats and cargo involved in the smuggling attempts were seized.
On January 2 at around 10:00 a.m., a Coast Guard patrol operating in the southwestern waters near Saint Martin’s Island intercepted a motorized boat carrying cement bags valued at approximately 300,000 taka. Eleven traders were arrested in that operation, Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Syam Ul Haque said. The cargo was reportedly intended for transport to Arakan State.
In a separate incident on January 3 at about 2:00 a.m., Coast Guard personnel arrested seven additional traders and seized a boat transporting around 1,500 liters of diesel fuel, estimated to be worth 180,000 taka. Authorities said the fuel was also bound for Arakan State.
All detained traders have been handed over to the Teknaf Model Police Station for legal action under charges related to illegal transportation and smuggling.
Bangladeshi officials said coastal patrols have been intensified amid ongoing security concerns, including cross-border smuggling and instability along the Bangladesh–Myanmar maritime boundary. The government has imposed a strict ban on the export of fuel, construction materials, and other goods to Arakan State and has stepped up enforcement against violators.
In a previous operation on December 26, Coast Guard units also detained 11 traders and seized a boat carrying 1,000 liters of diesel and 650 cement bags during a patrol in the Bay of Bengal, about 42 miles from the Kutubdia Island Lighthouse in Phaloungchhit Township.
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