11 Pathorghata pirates with gang leader held, arms recovered
Members of Rab-8 in Patuakhali yesterday arrested 11 pirates, including gang leader Monir Hossain, second from left, and recovered arms at Pathorghata of Barguna district.Photo: STAR
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-8) yesterday arrested 11 pirates including their ring leader and recovered arms from their possession at Pathorghata under Barguna district. The arrested pirates are ring leader Monir Hossain, 22, and his accomplices Abdur Rahim, 27, Abdul Jalil, 20, Monir Khan, 22, Billal Hossain, 24, Kawsar, 28, Nur Zamal, 22, Kamal Khan, 23, Sohag Molla, 20, Abdur Razzak, 23, and Sahin, 22, of different villages under Pathorghata upazila. A Rab-8 team from Patuakhali camp raided a two-storied building in Pathorghata launch ghat area and arrested them while they were preparing to go to the sea by trawlers. The seized arms and ammo include one foreign made rifle, six country-made LG, 22 bullets of rifles and two Chinese axes. Md Nuruzzaman, company commander for Rab-8 of Patuakhali camp said that the Rab team seized the trawler of the pirate's gang and filed a case with Pathorghata police station yesterday. Earlier on Thursday, pirates abducted 60 more fishermen with 15 trawlers from Bengal coasts in Bagerhat, hours after they kidnapped 75 fishermen along with 10 trawlers for ransom in Barguna and Bagerhat on Tuesday and Wednesday. With this the armed gangsters mercilessly beat up and injured 20 fishermen and looted fish, fishing nets, cash and valuables worth Tk 70 lakh from 80 trawlers within 72 hours, reports UNB. Local fishermen said, a notorious gang swooped on 15 fishing trawlers, committed robbery and kidnapped 60 fishermen along with 15 trawlers from Bengal coasts in Sharankhola. The kidnapped fishermen come from different upazilas of Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Barguna, Bhola and Patuakhali districts. Patharghata Upazila Matsyajibi Samity leaders said pirates committed robbery in over 85 fishing trawlers and abducted 75 fishermen along with 10 trawlers in Fairway Boya, Bedarhali and Nishan Baria areas of Rayenda and Patharghata upazilas of Bagerhat and Barguna respectively on Tuesday night and early Wednesday. They demanded strengthening of steps to ensure security of the fishermen while fishing in the coasts and deep sea.
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