Bangladesh: Three human traffickers killed killed during 'shootout' in Cox’s Bazar

The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday in Maheshkhalia Para of Teknaf Sadar Union, Teknaf Police Station OC Pradip Kumar Das told bdnews 24.

The three men have been identified as Abdul Quader, 25, Kurban Ali, 30, and Abdur Rahman, 30.

The three were members of an organised human trafficking ring which operated in the sea, said police. They were accused in a case started over the attempted trafficking of 15 Rohingyas to Malaysia from Teknaf, reported the Bangladesh-based news portal.

A police team raided Maheshkhalia Para at predawn to arrest the three criminals after receiving information about their presence there, OC Pradip told the news portal.

“The traffickers opened fire on police after they arrived at the spot, forcing them to retaliate in self-defence.  At one point, the traffickers fled the scene and the bullet-ridden bodies of the three were found on the spot," he said.

Guns and bullets have been recovered from the spot.