Three alleged Yaba smugglers were killed in a gunfight with members of Bangladesh Coast Guard near Shah Parir Island in Teknaf upazila early Friday.
The deceased were identified as Amim Majhi, 50, of Shah Parir Island, Zahir Ahmed, 35, of Pahartali in the district town, and Mohammad Kalu, 37, of Golokghata village in Maheshkhali upazila.Being tipped-off that a large consignment of Yaba tablets is entering the country through the Naf River from Myanmar, a team of coastguards conducted a drive near Shah Parir Island, said Lieutenant Kazi Harun-ur-Rashid, Commander of Coast Guard Teknaf station.
During the drive, they challenged a boat around 1am, he said. Sensing danger, the drug peddlers opened fire on the Coast Guard members, prompting them to retaliate that triggered a gunfight, Lt Harun said, adding that three smugglers were killed during the night-time gun battle.
He also said two coastguards — Abdus Samad and Md Faisal — and boat their driver Amanullah sustained injuries during the incident.
Other smugglers fled to the Myanmar along with the boat, Lt Harun claimed.
Meanwhile, police recovered the three bodies from a boat ‘FB Hamid’ from the Bakkhali River in Sadar upazila around 5pm on Friday. Another person –Mohammad Hossain, 40 –- was also rescued from the boat injured.
Hossain was sent to Sadar Upazila Health Complex where he claimed that they were fishermen. “Coastguards opened fire on us in the dark while we were catching fish, killing three of us and injuring me,” second officer of Sadar Police Station sub-inspector Mohammad Shahed quoted Hossain as saying. – UNB
