46 held en route to KL
A team of Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard detained 46 people at Saint Martin's island in the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday night for attempting to go to Malaysia illegally.
They were detained around 10:00pm when they had set out for Malaysia on a motor boat, said Commander Abu Mohammad Akik of Bangladesh Coast Guard (east zone).
All the detainees, including boatman Nurul Hoque, 30, and his assistants, are from Cox's Bazar, said Akik. They were taken to Teknaf Police Station.
The detainees said they have paid Tk 20,000-30,000 each to middlemen for this purpose, said the commander, adding that they were yet to disclose the names of the middlemen.
Meanwhile, another team of the two forces stopped 19 Rohingyas on Naf river from coming ashore early yesterday, said the commander.
The team intercepted the boat carrying the Rohingyas around 12:15am near Shah Porir Dweep in Teknaf upazila.
Of the 19, nine are males, six females and four children.
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