Three members of Myanmar's security forces have been detained by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) after allegedly fleeing an Arakan Army (AA)-controlled area in Myanmar's Rakhine State and crossing the Naf River into Bangladesh.

The three men were intercepted on Monday near the Ice Factory area of Naitong Para in Teknaf municipality after swimming across the river, according to BGB officials. They were later handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station.

The detainees have been identified as Second Lieutenant Hein De Htet of Maungdaw Town Police Station, police constable Hein Zaw, and BGP (Border Guard Police) member Kyaw Naing from BGP Battalion No. 3 in Buthidaung.

According to BGB, the three had been held for an extended period in an area under the control of the Arakan Army before making their escape.

During preliminary questioning, the detainees said they left a residential building near the headquarters of BGP Battalion No. 1 in Kyauk Pyin Bil area of Maungdaw Township on the night of July 19. They walked nearly six kilometres to the banks of the Naf River and, using plastic jerrycans for flotation, swam across the river for about two hours before entering Bangladesh around 11:00 a.m. on Monday.

BGB officials said interpreters were used during the interrogation, and their identities were verified before they were transferred to police custody.

Teknaf Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Saiful Islam said a case is being processed against the three for illegal entry into Bangladesh. They are expected to be produced before a Cox's Bazar court on Tuesday.

The incident comes amid continued instability in northern Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army has expanded its territorial control following months of intense fighting with Myanmar's military. The armed group now controls most of Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, including several former military and Border Guard Police positions.

In recent months, the Arakan Army has faced mounting allegations of arbitrary detention, forced recruitment, restrictions on civilian movement, and abuses against local communities in areas under its control. Human rights groups have also documented reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and intimidation of civilians, although the AA has denied many of the accusations.

The latest crossing underscores the deteriorating security situation in Rakhine, where even members of Myanmar's own security forces are reportedly attempting to flee areas controlled by the Arakan Army, adding another layer of complexity to the conflict along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

BOB Post