Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh:  A cargo boat having 10,000 fertilizer bags, at "Sonar Dip" of Cox's Bazar district was looted by pirates on 30th January while it was en route to Burma, reported in The Daily Purbokon, a local Bengali paper.

The whole day of yesterday, the pirates unloaded all the bags of fertilizer from the boat after fastening 11 crewmen's hands and legs with ropes. They were released after all the goods had been taken away. Later,the boat was sent to the owner with the crew members.

On getting information in the evening, the police of Moshkhali of Cox's Bazar went to the owner of the boat as he was smuggling, they met 11 crewmen there. After getting enough bribe from the boat owner, the police men returned to their station, the local people said.

The 11 crew members also admitted that the cargo boat was looted by pirates. The pirates' leader named Nago, a union member of "Sonar Dip" who has sent the cargo boat after looting to the owner, said the local people.

The owners of the boat are Mohamed Akter, a union member of Dalghata of Moshkhali Dip of Cox's Bazaar District and two other smugglers are of Chittagong, Bangladesh, sources said.

These  said smugglers or boat owners accompanied by other smugglers from Dhaka using water way, they have been smuggling fertilizer to Burma since long despite Bangladesh authorities such as Bangladesh Rifles, the Bangladesh  Coast  Guards and police have been trying their best to stop the smuggling, said local people.

As the short supply of fertilizer in Arakan by the government to the farmers, the smugglers of Bangladesh are taking this advantage, smuggling fertilizer to Burma taking many risks