COXS BAZAR, Mar 28: Fuel imported with hard earned foreign currency, are being smuggled into war-torn Myanmar through marine route from Coxs Bazar. In the latest raid, police seized a large consignment of 15,000 liters of fuel and 4,000 liters of edible oil while being smuggled into Myanmar in a two-phase operation. Several operations have already been conducted to prevent smuggling of fuel and edible oil, according to police.
The investigation revealed that per liter of octane can be delivered to the smugglers boat from Marine Drive, yielding a cash profit of Tk 200. If the octane reaches the coast of Myanmar from the sea adjacent to Coxs Bazars Marine Drive, the profit tops Tk 500 per liter. The fuel and edible oil are being smuggled to Myanmar by the sea from Coxs Bazar for quite some time. Many people in the coastal area are involved in this crime for illegal profit.
Some 2,900 liters of octane in 69 plastic containers were recovered from a pickup van and six people were arrested on suspicion of smuggling, according to RAB.
This octane was being bought from an oil pump in Ukhiya at Tk 135 per liter to be smuggled into Myanmar, according to the RAB officials.
"They used to buy octane at wholesale price from various petrol pumps. The six arrested are in RAB custody. A case under the Special Powers Act is pending against them with Ramu Police Station," he said.
The arrested are Ayash alias Riaz, 22, Md Jasim Uddin, 20, Ali Akbar, 38, Md Sohail, 19, Md Ehachan Ullah alias Rahmat Ullah, 23, and Delwar, 24. Delwar is the resident of Himchhari, Ramu and rest are the residents of Sonarpara of Jalia Palang union of Ukhiya.
Teknaf Police Station Officer-in Charge (OC) Osman Gani said the fuel and edible oil have been smuggled into Myanmar for quite some time. The OC said the suspected smugglers confessed during interrogation that they had been smuggling fuel oil to Myanmar for a long time.
Recent investigations in the border area have revealed that the internal communication system has broken down due to the ongoing civil war between the countrys government forces and the rebels inside Myanmar.
Even the road connecting the port city of Maungdu in western Arakan (Rakhine State) with the district and divisional city of Akyab and the capital Yangon is cut off. Due to these reasons, there has been a serious crisis in the transportation of goods everywhere.
In Maungdaw city, the price of a 50 kilogram-bag of old rice is now Tk 8,928. That is, the price per kilogram is Tk 178. The price of edible oil is Tk 1,450 per liter, the price of octane is Tk 800 per liter, the price of diesel is Tk 500 per litre.
Rashed Mahmud Ali, the owner of the petrol pump at Teknafs Baharchhara union, said octane is being sold at Tk 135 and diesel at Tk 111 per litre.
"Due to the lower price compared to Myanmar, smugglers are getting more profit by buying fuel from Bangladesh and smuggling it into Myanmar," he said.
The Coast Guard members in separate drives arrested six individuals with a substantial amount of food items and fuel oil near the Naf River in Coxs Bazars Teknaf, stockpiled allegedly for smuggling to Myanmar on March 3.
The arrested are Md Tayub, 43, Md Salim, 26, Jasim Uddin, 18, Mujib Ullah, 18, Md Ridwan, 22, and Shafiullah, 48. The Coast Guard Eastern Zone media officer, Lt Col SM Tahsin Rahman, said the operations were conducted early Sunday based on information.
A substantial amount of food items and fuel oil were stockpiled for smuggling into Myanmar through the Shahpori Island and Baritali areas of Teknaf, evading customs, he said. He also added that a case was filed with the Teknaf Police Station regarding the incident.
