3 members of suspected robbery gang arrested from Sundarbans

Police arrested three people suspected to be members of a robbery gang and seized local weapons and ammunition from their possession the Sundarbans in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat early today.

They were arrested from the north bank of Miragamari creek under Chandpai Range of Sundarban East Forest Division around 4:10am, KM Ariful Haque, superintendent of Bagerhat police said in a press briefing held at the SP office this noon.

A case has already been filed under Arms Act against the arrestees with Mongla Police Station and now preparation is underway to produce them before court, the SP said.

The arrestees are Masum Farazi, 35, and Hashan Kabiraj, 30, of Bagerhat's Sharankhola upazila and Alamgir Hossain Howlader, 50, of the district's Patharghata upazila, reports our Bagerhat correspondent.

SP Ariful said some fishermen were recently kidnapped by robbers in Sundarbans.

The fishermen were rescued but the robbers could not be arrested, he said.

Police however continued their operation and finally managed to arrest three robbers in the early hours of today.

The law enforcers also recovered one homemade single barrel gun, three rounds of cartridges, two machetes, two iron rods and some other equipment from their possession during the drive.

The arrestees identified themselves as members of Nayan Bahini while Masum Faraji, one of the three arrestees, identified himself as second-in-command of the robbery gang.

Police are also working to arrest others involved in robberies in the Sundarbans, the SP added.