Coast Guard seizes jet fuel, diesel, soybean oil in Patenga raids

The Bangladesh Coast Guard seized a large quantity of
smuggled jet fuel, diesel, octane, and soybean oil in two separate raids in the
Patenga area of Chattogram between last night and early today (19 May).
According to a Coast Guard press
release issued this afternoon, acting on confidential information, teams from
the Patenga Coast Guard outpost conducted the drives.
The first operation was carried out
around 11pm yesterday near VIP Road under Patenga Police Station, targeting a
hidden storage facility used for illegal fuel trading.
During the operation, officials seized approximately 7,000
litres of jet fuel, 6,000 litres of diesel, and 1,500 litres of octane, with a
total estimated value of Tk23.35 lakh. A truck used for transporting the fuel
was also confiscated.
In the second operation, conducted
around 1am today near the Akmal Ali Sluice Gate under the EPZ Police Station,
Coast Guard personnel seized around 5,000 litres of soybean oil worth nearly
Tk9 lakh.
According to the Coast Guard, the
edible oil had been illegally unloaded from a ship for unauthorised marketing.
No arrests were made during either
operation as the smugglers managed to flee the scene after sensing the presence
of the law enforcement team.
The Coast Guard added that intelligence surveillance has been intensified to
identify and arrest those involved in the smuggling operations, adding that
joint drives with other law enforcement agencies would be conducted if
necessary.
Legal procedures regarding the seized fuel, edible oil and truck are currently
underway, the statement added.
Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam
Suzan said the Coast Guard would continue such operations to prevent smuggling
and illegal stockpiling in coastal areas.
Legal procedures regarding the seized goods and the truck are currently
underway.
Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam
Suzan said the Coast Guard would continue such operations to curb smuggling and
illegal stockpiling in coastal areas.















