3 Myanmar security personnel detained after crossing Naf River into Teknaf

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has detained three members of Myanmar's security forces after they allegedly crossed the Naf River and entered Bangladesh from Rakhine State.

According to the BGB, one of the detainees is a member of the Border Guard Police (BGP), while the other two belong to Myanmar's military junta security forces.

The three men were handed over to Teknaf Model police station on Monday night.

According to BGB sources, the three individuals swam across the Naf River and reached the area adjacent to the ice factory at Naittong Para in Teknaf Pourashava at around 12:00 pm on Monday. They were detained by members of the Teknaf Border Outpost (BOP) under the Teknaf-2 BGB Battalion. Their identities were subsequently verified.

The BGB said the detainees have been identified as Second Lieutenant Hein De Htet of Maungdaw town police station, police member Hein Zaw, and Kyaw Naing, a member of BGP Unit No. 3 in Buthidaung.

The force said they had been held captive for an extended period in areas of Rakhine State controlled by the Arakan Army (AA).

Md Saiful Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Teknaf Model police station, told Prothom Alo that a case was being filed against the three Myanmar nationals on charges of illegal entry into Bangladesh. They are due to be produced before a Cox's Bazar court on Tuesday.

According to BGB and police sources, the detainees told investigators during preliminary questioning that they had escaped at around 10:30 pm on 19 July from a residential building adjacent to the headquarters of BGP Battalion No. 1, which is under the control of the Arakan Army, in the Kawar Bil area of Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State.

They said they then walked approximately six kilometres to the banks of the Naf River before using plastic jerrycans as flotation aids to swim across the river. After around two hours in the water, they entered Bangladesh at about 11:00 am on Monday, where they were detained by BGB personnel at around midday.

The BGB said the three men were taken to the Teknaf-2 BGB Battalion headquarters, where their identities were confirmed following questioning conducted with the assistance of an interpreter.