KHULNA, Apr 22: Bangladesh Coast Guard recovered 80 firearms over the last one and a half years and arrested 61 forest pirates and 2,857 rounds of ammunition during intensified anti-piracy operations in the Sundarban.
As part of the latest operation, Coast Guard members arrested notorious two forest pirate gang members "Chhoto Jahangir Bahini" along with arms and ammunition from the Baintala Khal under Dacope upazila, adjacent to the Sundarban on April 3, officials said.
The arrested were identified as Sohag Howlader, 35, of Sharankhola Upazila in Bagerhat and Babul Sana, 42 of Paikgachha Upazila in Khulna.
In another operation, the Coast Gourd team rescued three fishermen from Hogoldara Khal area under Shyamnagar Upazila of Satkhira on April 1.
Sensing the presence of Coast Gourd, pirates managed to flee, leaving the fishermen along with boat, two round of live bullets, one blank cartridges, three walkie-talkie chargers, three mobile batteries and one axe.
On March 31, another notorious pirate "Jonab Bahini" had abducted three fishermen along with boat from a canel of Sundarban while netting fish.
Confirming the matter, Lt Sakib Imran, Navigating Officer of the Coast Guard West Zone on Thursday said that on January 2 Masum's gang abducted the owner of Golkanon Resort along with two tourists while they were travelling by a wooden boat from the resort to the Kanur Khal area of the Sundarban. The gang later demanded ransom from the victims.
Following information from the resort authorities, the Coast Guard launched a joint operation using intelligence inputs, drone surveillance and financial tracking. After a continuous 48-hour operation, the abducted resort owner and tourists were rescued unharmed, he said.
The officer added that Masum Mridha has long been a source of fear among fishermen and tourists and has been implicated in several incidents involving the abduction of fishermen from different areas of the Sundarban.
He said forest pirate groups have been engaged in looting forest resources and kidnapping fishermen and forest-dependent people for years, causing serious damage to tourism, the ecosystem and the security of local communities.
He further said that in continuous operation drives over the past one and half years, a total of 61 pirates belonging to different gangs including Chhoto Zahangir, Jonab Bahini, Karim-Sharif, Asabur Bahini, Chhoto Sumon Bahini have been arrested.
During the operations 80 firearms, 2,857 rounds of ammunition, were seized, while 78 fishermen, including 3 tourists were rescued.
Efforts have also been intensified to suppress currently active gangs led by Karim Sharif, Jahangir and Dayal through increased patrols and enhanced intelligence surveillance.
He stressed that ensuring long-term security of the Sundarban requires increased Coast Guard manpower, establishment of new stations at strategic locations, addition of high-speed boats and expansion of modern drone-based surveillance.
