Shawdesh Desk:

Fuel and edible oil, imported in foreign currency, are being smuggled into Myanmar through marine route from Cox’s Bazar amid high inflation in the South East Asian country, according to investigation of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

The estimated average inflation rate in Naypyidaw for the 2023-2024 fiscal year surged to 21.2%, reflecting the financial policy of the Government of Myanmar.

The investigation revealed that per liter of octane can be delivered to smuggler’s boat from Marine Drive, yielding a cash profit of Tk165. If the octane reaches the coast of Myanmar from the sea adjacent to Cox’s Bazar’s Marine Drive, the profit tops Tk300 per liter.

The fuel and edible oil are being smuggled to Myanmar by the sea from Cox’s Bazar for quite some time. Many people in the coastal area are involved in this crime for illegal profit.

RAB-15 Senior Assistant Director Abu Salam Chowdhury said a team of the battalion seized two pickup vans heading towards Teknaf from Daryanagar Bridge of Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive area around 3:30pm last Friday.

Two thousand 900 liters of octane in 69 plastic containers were recovered from the pickup vans and six people were arrested on suspicion of smuggling, Abu Salam Chowdhury said.

This octane was being bought from an oil pump in Ukhiya at Tk135 per liter to be smuggled into Myanmar, according to the RAB officials.

The arrested are Ayash alias Riaz, 22, Md Jasim Uddin, 20, Ali Akbar, 38, Md Sohail, 19, Md Ehachan Ullah alias Rahmat Ullah, 23, and Delwar, 24. Delwar is the resident of Himchhari, Ramu and rest are the residents of Sonarpara of Jalia Palang union of Ukhiya.

Cox’s Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police Abu Salam Chowdhury said the suspected smugglers confessed in interrogation that they had been smuggling fuel oil to Myanmar for a long time with the connivance of each other.

“They used to buy octane at wholesale prices from various petrol pumps. The six arrested are in RAB custody. A case under the Special Powers Act is pending against them at Ramu police station,” he said.

Teknaf police station Officer-in Charge Osman (OC) Gani said the fuel and edible oil have been smuggled into Myanmar for quite some time.

In the last week of December, police seized a large consignment of fuel and edible oil while being smuggled into Myanmar in a two-phase operation. Several operations have already been conducted to prevent smuggling of fuel and edible oil, the OC said.

Teknaf’s Baharchhara Union Parishad Chairman Amjad Hossain Khokon said the fuel is being smuggled directly into Myanmar through the deep sea route.

“If someone can negotiate the sale of one liter of octane to the boats heading to Myanmar via Marine Drive, they stand to make a cash profit of Tk165. Consequently, many people in the area are getting involved in fuel and edible oil smuggling,” he said.

Shahidullah Chowkidar of Baharchhara union said the fuel and edible oil shipments are being smuggled into Myanmar through various places, including Bara Dail, Sheelkhali, Jahazpura, Hazampara, Marishbunia, Noakhalipara, Maheshkhalipara, Habir Rham, and Karachipara.

Residents complain that even though there is an investigation centre or outpost of the police in Baharchhara, the police of the center could not arrest any shipment of smuggling.

Inspector Moshiur Rahman, in-charge of the investigation centre, said the police is working to control the oil trafficking.

Recent investigations in the border area have revealed that the internal communication system has broken down due to the ongoing civil war between the country’s government forces and the rebels inside Myanmar.

Even the road connecting the port city of Maungdu in western Arakan (Rakhine State) with the district and divisional city of Akyab and the capital Yangon is cut off. Due to these reasons, there has been a serious crisis in the transportation of goods everywhere.

In West Arakan, along with Akiab, Buchidong, Rashidong and Mangdu, the prices of daily commodities are skyrocketing.

Abul Kalam, a businessman in Maungdaw, said that exchange rate of Bangladeshi taka is now 27.50 Kyat of Myanmar per unit.

In Maungdaw city, the price of a 50 kilogram-bag of old rice is now Tk8,928. That is, the price per kilogram is Tk178. The price of edible oil is Tk1,450 per liter, the price of octane is Tk600 per liter, the price of diesel is Tk400 per litre.

Rashed Mahmud Ali, the owner of the petrol pump of Teknaf’s Baharchhara union, said that octane is being sold at Tk135 and diesel at Tk111 per litre.

“Due to the lower price comparing Myanmar, smugglers are getting more profit by buying fuel from Bangladesh and smuggling it into Myanmar,” he said.