DAWEI- The Navy from Mawrawady Naval Regional Command Headquarters seized a boat with 93 Bengalis onboard at the Dawei Coastline on November 25th.
A police investigation has been launched regarding this incident.
The Navy, together with the Bengalis, came ashore at Sanhlan Beach during the night of November 25th. The detainees were handed over to the police, which the police inquired information regarding 93 Bengalis including the leader that was previously recorded as living in Darpaing village, Thechaung village-tract in Sittwe Township, Rakhine State.
“The Navy found the boat carrying Bengalis. They arrested them and handed them over to us to investigate the Bengalis. A team , made up of immigration and police officers as well as members of other organizations are digging for information on the legality of the detained Bengalis. Whether they will be charged under immigration laws or not will depend on results. We are now submitting the report concerning this incident to the Union Government. We will be carrying out the order that will later be issued by the Union Government. Currently, the seized Bengalis are quarantined in a boat at Sanhlan Beach,” said Police Lt-Col. Sein Win from Taninthari Region Police Force.
According to confession from a Bengali “leader”, two boats carrying the Bengalis left from Darpaing village, Sittwe Township, Rakhine State, about 2am of November 18th.
However, a boat with around 60 Bengalis was seized near Darpaing village while the remaining boat managed to escape detection - stuck out at sea for one week. When they sought the route for getting into Malaysia, the Naval Warship found them. The Bengalis on board had to pay a “Broker” from Thechaung Village Tract Ks 500,000 per person for a spot in the boats.
The warship brought along a boat with 93 Bengalis to the Sanhlan Beach near Launglon Township. Later, over 30 security members from a police force separately detained the seized Bengalis on a local fishing boat at a sea outside of the Sanhlan Beach.
Immigration personnel are investigating about seized Bengalis. According to records, the Bengalis were living in the Thechaung village-tract with many of them holding legitimate documents while some were White Card holders.
