The Bangladesh Navy intercepted a massive smuggling operation on June 4, seizing 1,450 bags of cement, five fishing boats, and detaining 52 individuals bound for Rakhine State, Myanmar.

The operation was confirmed in a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) directorate.

A naval patrol vessel operating near St. Martin’s Island (known as Coconut Island in Arakanese) initiated the crackdown after spotting two suspicious wooden fishing boats during the night.

The cargo was being illegally exported by sea to meet a high demand for construction materials in Myanmar's conflict-torn Rakhine State.

According to regional business reports, a bag of cement costs roughly 500 Bangladeshi Taka, but fetches up to 100,000 Myanmar Kyats in Rakhine, making the market price of Rakhine nearly 20 times higher than its original retail value.

Naval personnel initially boarded and searched two vessels, identified as the FB Ma Noor Jahan and the FB Homaiara, uncovering the 1,450 bags of contraband cement and arresting 22 smugglers on board.

During subsequent interrogations, the detainees revealed the involvement of three additional fishing boats. Acting on this intelligence, the Navy intercepted the FB Maa Janani-1, FB Ashraful Islam Sayyad, and FB Haji Basirullah, detaining an additional 30 individuals.

Following the completion of the maritime operation, the Navy handed over all 52 detainees, the five seized vessels, and the contraband cement to the Teknaf Police Station for formal legal processing.