Dhaka, Broadcasting News Corporation: On Sunday (January 4, 2026), the Bangladesh Navy ship ‘Banuja Shadhinata,’ patrolling the Bay of Bengal, conducted an operation based on a secret tip-off on Saturday night (January 3, 2026) in the waters near Saint Martin’s Island. During the operation, 273 individuals and a wooden boat were seized while attempting to travel abroad illegally by sea.

Initial interrogation revealed that all the detainees intended to travel illegally to Malaysia. Timely and effective measures by the Navy made it possible to prevent a potentially large-scale human trafficking operation. Noticing suspicious movements of a wooden boat located 30 miles southwest of Saint Martin’s Island, the Bangladesh Navy ship ‘Banuja Shadhinata’ signaled the boat to stop. However, the boat did not stop and attempted to escape by increasing its speed. The Navy ship immediately chased and apprehended the boat.