7 dredgers, vessel with sand seized

Bangladesh Coast Guard in a drive early yesterday seized seven dredgers and one sand carrying vessel from Bakalia Char in Karnaphuli river near Chittagong Port for extracting sands illegally.
The seized vessels were -- dredger TMSG and vessel Gangchil, owned by Pacific Marine Services; MV Shah Amanat-2, MV Buriganga and MV Bismillah, of Mohammad Mohiuddin; and MV Gausia, MV Karnaphuli and MV Allahar Malik of Mohammad Zakaria, said Lt Commander Jashimuzzaman, staff officer (operation) of the Coast Guard.
Acting on a tip-off, two Coast Guard teams of the Chittagong base and port units, and officials of the port authority conducted the drive from 12:30am to 3:00am and seized the vessels, he said.
“We seized the vessels on charges of extracting sands from the riverbed without authorisation and transporting sands in the night which is prohibited. We will take legal measures against them,” said the official.