Bangladesh Navy has foiled a major human trafficking attempt in the Bay of Bengal, arresting 273 people who were attempting to travel illegally to Malaysia by sea. The operation was carried out late Saturday night based on intelligence information by naval ship BNS Swadhinata, which was patrolling waters near Saint Martin’s Island. According to the Navy, the vessel detected suspicious movement of a wooden boat about 30 nautical miles southwest of Saint Martin’s Island. During the operation, the Navy detained 273 individuals, including 10 members of a suspected trafficking syndicate. “The timely and effective action of the Bangladesh Navy has successfully thwarted a large-scale human trafficking operation,” a Navy statement said on Sunday.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 04, 2026 13:28 UTC