Police rescued 57 Rohingyas on the Marine Drive in Cox`s Bazar`s Teknaf upazila who were being trafficked to Malaysia.
The Rohingyas -- eight men, 16 women, and 33 children -- were getting ready to leave on a sea voyage to Malaysia when they were caught by police around 6:35 p.m., according to Md Osman Goni, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station.
According to Rafiqul Islam, additional superintendent of Cox`s Bazar police, four traffickers were also arrested during the drive across the beach area along Marine Drive at Hatiarghona point.
The OC listed the arrestees, who are Md Yasin, 23, a leader of a human trafficking gang, of Moheshkhalia Para; Md Jubair, 35, of Dargarchara area; Najir Hosson, 61, of North Lambori in Teknaf Sadar upazila; and Ramimul Islam Radid, 31, of Laxminarayanpur in Begumganj.
According to the police officer, these criminals use various international syndicates to traffic the victims to Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Rohingya people reside in various camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, he added.
Assistant Super Superintendent of Police Rafiqul Islam said that an additional investigation is being conducted into the incident in an effort to identify all of the criminals.
Mohammad Syed, one of the rescuers told local journalists that he and his three kids had left their camp five days earlier to travel to Malaysia.
Syed said that he gave Tk 40,000 to the broker and was expected to give Tk 2 lakh more when they arrived at their destination.
Before being taken to Marine Drive last night by the traffickers to start their journey, the rescued Rohingyas had been held for five days in a hilly area of Teknaf.
