Two of the three cargo ships detained by Myanmar’s Arakan Army have successfully anchored at Teknaf Land Port. The ships arrived at the port’s jetty on Monday (January 20) at 11:30 AM.
The Arakan Army released the two vessels after detaining them for four days. The ships initially departed from Yangon Port, Myanmar, on January 12, en route to Teknaf. However, on January 16, the ships encountered an intercept near Haein Khali in the Naf River, near Maungdaw, Myanmar.
The detained ships carried a variety of goods, including 56,000 sacks of betel nuts, pickles, dried fish, cosmetics, coffee, and more.
The importers of the goods include Omar Faruq, Shawkat Ali, Ehteshamul Haque Bahadur, Siddiq, Saddam Hossain, M.A. Hashem, and Omar Wahed, among others.
Syed Anwar Hossain, manager of Teknaf Land Port, and Ehteshamul Haque Bahadur, general secretary of the Port’s C&F Association, confirmed the incident.
“The Arakan Army intercepted the ships and held them to verify cargo documents. Two vessels have now reached the port safely,” said the officials.
As of now, there is no update on the third detained ship.
Local importers have expressed relief over the return of the vessels but have urged the government to ensure tighter security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
By Rajin Saleh
Photo: Collected
