650 tons coals, 2 cargo ships seized, 41 arrested during smuggling

Bagerhat Correspondent :

Some 650 tons imported coals at Mongla Sea Port and 2 cargo ships were seized and as many as 41 smugglers were arrested by a contingent of the Coastguards of the Western Zone based on Mongla in the early hours of Sunday from Batiaghata area of Khulna at the time of smuggling out in the plea of carrying the coal to the destination Noapara in Jashore.

At that time 2 cargoes named “MV. Al-Ratna” and”MV. Tanzila-2″ along with money and other materials were seizeed.

Lt. Commander Sabbir Ahmed, Executive Officer of the Coast Guards of the Western Zone based on Mongla confirmed the matter and told, the cargo ship ‘MV. Al-Ratna’ after loading 650 tons imported coals from a foreign commercial ship staying in the Harbour area of Mongla Seat Port in the early hours of Sunday left the Harbour area for Noapara ghat (Joshohar district).

But when it reached Batiaghata area in Khulna district and began to stay there along with its master, quartermaster (Sukani) and all other staff of the cargo in order to smuggle the coal elsewhere.

In the mean time being informed on secret informed that 650 tons coals will be smuggled out through the cargo ships a contingent of the coastguards of Mongla headquarters (of the Western Zone) rushed to the spot and found that coal is being loaded in “MV Tanjia-2′ from a foreign ship in the early hours of Sunday.

Then the members of the coast guards raided both the cargo ships used in the smuggling purposes, arrested all the staff of both the cargoes and others, 41 in number, involved in smuggling purposes and seized 650 tons coals, a number of mobiles, some equipments for taking drug like Yaba, cash TK.1 (one) lakh and some other valuable materials.

This was disclosed by the members of the coastguards of the Western Zone based at Mongla in a press briefing held in its headquarters (at Mongla) on Sunday afternoon.

But the names and addresses of the arrested smugglers could not be known till Monday.

In spite of that it is guessed that most of them hail from the different places of Mongla Upazila in Bagerhat district and Batiaghata Upazila in Khulna district.

Later, the arrested smugglers were handed over to the Police administration for taking legal action against them.

H M Dulal, a stevedore of Mongla Port told that once upon a time the owners of both foreign and local ships expressed their unwillingness to send (their) ships to Mongla Port in fear of theft and dacoity in the ships was almost a regular feature and that is why it (Mongla) became a dead port.

The importers used to import various goods from the foreign countries investing huge amounts of money.