Two boats carrying construction materials, including cement and iron rod, were reportedly captured from Naf River by the Arakan Army of Myanmar while en route from Teknaf to Saint Martin’s Island.
Six crew members were taken with the vessels. However, there is a ruckus about the incident.
Abdur Rashid, owner of one of the boats and president of the Teknaf-Saint Martin Service Boat Owners Association; told the media on Wednesday that they have possibly been abducted by the Arakan Army.
He said, “Two service boats, SB Rasel, which I own, and SB Faruk owned by Abdur Rob, were en route to Saint Martin’s with cement and iron rods when they were seized at gunpoint by Arakan Army members. Six crew members were onboard.”
He claimed to have informed the Border Guard, Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, and the local administration about the incident. “We informed the matter verbally to the BGB, Coast Guard and other agencies,” he said.
However, it is prohibited to bring perishable goods to the St. Martin. Allegations of smuggling of these materials to Myanmar have been raised. The BGB and Coast Guard are investigating the matter.
Lt Colonel Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, commanding officer of BGB Battalion-2 in Teknaf; on Wednesday said that they have no information regarding the reported abduction at this time.
However, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Teknaf Md Adnan Chowdhury clarified that transporting construction materials to Saint Martin’s Island is strictly prohibited.
The Keruntoli jetty, where the boats reportedly loaded, has long been closed by the administration for such purposes, he said.
A Coast Guard official from the Teknaf station echoed suspicions of smuggling, noting, “It is prohibited to carry construction materials to the island. We suspect these materials were being smuggled to Myanmar. The claims of abduction may be a cover-up, as the boat owners are now unreachable and might be attempting to avoid responsibility.”
A local representative from the island alleged that a smuggling syndicate led by Abdur Rashid, Abdur Rob, Ismail, and Jahangir has been involved in transporting food and construction materials under the pretense of servicing Saint Martin’s Island for an extended period.
Lt Colonel Md Mohiuddin Ahmed of BGB said, “We are working to determine whether these boats were involved in smuggling or if something else occurred. We have reached out to the Arakan Army for any information on the boats’ whereabouts and are closely monitoring the situation.”
