The Bangladesh Navy rescued 65 people from a sinking trawler in the Bay of Bengal who were attempting to travel illegally to Malaysia, officials said on Friday.
Naval forces also arrested 11 members of an international human trafficking syndicate during the operation.
The rescue was carried out on Wednesday by the naval warship BNS Khalid Bin Walid approximately 81 nautical miles off St. Martin's Light House.
According to naval sources, a local fishing vessel, FV Crystal-1, spotted a disabled wooden trawler taking on water after its engine and water pump failed. The fishermen alerted the Navy after observing suspicious activity onboard.
Navy personnel responded promptly, pumped out the accumulating water, and safely evacuated all 76 individuals on board. The group included women and several Rohingya refugees. Naval officers provided medical first aid, food and emergency relief to the victims.
During preliminary interrogations, 11 individuals were identified as active members of a human trafficking ring.
The 11 arrested traffickers along with the 65 rescued victims and the seized boat have been handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station for legal proceedings.
