Joint forces' fresh crackdown on human trafficking gangs in Teknaf

COX'S BAZAR, Nov 7: Members of joint forces led by the Army's 10th Infantry Division is conducting a fresh drive in the hills of Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar district to dismantle hideouts of human trafficking gangs.

The operation began around 8am on Saturday in the hilly areas of Leda-Rangikhali under Hnila Union of the upazila. More than 150 personnel from the Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police joined the operation.

Earlier, on Thursday afternoon, a joint force conducted a raid in the same remote hilly area, rescuing 57 people from a detention camp and arresting five alleged members of a human trafficking syndicate.

During the operation, gunfire was exchanged between the joint forces and the traffickers, leaving Army soldier Mohammad Titas Sheikh, 27, dead.

Reports also emerged in the media on Friday that three bodies were lying in the hills where the operation had been conducted.
Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police ANM Sajedur Rahman said police received information about three bodies lying in the Rangikhali hills.

“However, the information cannot be confirmed until the bodies are recovered. We are working to determine whether there are actually any bodies at the location,” he said. 

The joint operations would continue until the activities of the human trafficking networks were completely dismantled, he added. Titas was buried with state honours at his village in Nagarkanda upazila of Faridpur on Friday evening.

Meanwhile, the 57 rescued victims were handed over to their families on the premises of Teknaf Model Police Station on Friday.�"UNB