Narinjara, 21 May, 2025 

A vessel transporting drugs in the Naf River at the Maungdaw-Teknaf border was fired upon by the Bangladesh Coast Guard, resulting in one drug trafficker injured and two apprehended with 30,000 methamphetamine tablets, a foreign-manufactured handgun, and four rounds of ammunition, Ukhiya News reported on May 20. 

The person who was hurt is Abdul Shakkur (40), and the two who have been detained are Md. Elias (30) and Nur Mohammad (61), who reside in the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp located in Okhiya Township of Cox’s Bazar district, informed Coast Guard Information Officer Lieutenant Harun (b) Rashid. 

The incident occurred at 4:30 am on May 19. 

The injured individual is presently hospitalized in Cox's Bazar. 

A specialized unit of the Coast Guard carried out an operation near Tulatali Naughat in Teknaf township on Monday morning after receiving intelligence that a significant amount of drugs from Myanmar was infiltrating the coastal area via the sea route. 

During that period, Coast Guard officials observed a vessel and, suspecting it to be a powered wooden boat, directed it to halt. 

Upon seeing the Coast Guard officers, the smugglers sped up the boat and attempted to flee by shooting. 

At that moment, Coast Guard members shot back in self-defense, resulting in an injury to one of the smugglers, named Abdul Shakkur, according to Coast Guard Information Officer Harun (b) Rashid. 

The Coast Guard said that after an hour-long chase, four drug smugglers jumped into the sea and escaped, and the boat was seized. The two-remaining people on the boat and the drug smuggler who was hit by a bullet were caught.

The injured were first taken to Teknaf Hospital and then to Cox's Bazar District Hospital.