Seven poachers were arrested while preparing to hunt deer in the Hondol area of the Kokilmoni patrol outpost under the Sharonkhola Range of the Eastern Sundarbans. The members of Sharonkhola Smart Team-1 conducted a raid and arrested them around 12 midnight on Saturday (extending into the early hours of Sunday).
The arrested poachers are: Manoj Pal (42), son of late Tarapada Pal from Soguna village, Rampal upazila, Bagerhat, Mujibur Rahman (56), son of late A. Hamid from Baintala village, Munaf Ali Molla (22), son of Tajul Islam from Chanpur village, Mozammel Sheikh (52), son of late Khadem Sheikh from the same village (Chanpur), Khan Tamim (20), son of Kan Babu from Baroipara village, Ohid Mallik (36), son of Sattar Mallik, Ali Hossain (45), son of late Sundar Ali from Joymoni village, Mongla upazila.
During the operation, from the scene, two trawlers (including one with a Forest Department flag), 100 loop snares for deer hunting, one casting net, one saw, 20 containers, two drums, one anchor, several tarpaulins, two pots, and two cooking stoves were seized.
Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarban East Division, Bagerhat, said that the poacher group entered the forest disguised as pilgrims attending the Rash Puja festival of the Sanatan religion at Alorkole in Dublar Char. They were setting up traps in the forest area of Hondol under the Kokilmoni patrol outpost to hunt deer late at night. Acting on a tip-off, the forest guards, led by Smart Team leader Dilip Majumdar, conducted the raid and successfully arrested the seven poachers.
DFO Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury also said that a case has been filed under the Forest Act against the arrested poachers, and the seven accused were sent to Bagerhat court on Sunday (November 2) afternoon.
