UNB, Satkhira :
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a special drive arrested six smugglers along with two tiger hides in Sadar upazila on Thursday night.
The hides were believed to be removed from Royal Bengal tigers after those were killed in the Sundarbans.
The arrestees were identified as Sheikh Bakhtiar Uddin, 42, son of late Mohiuddin Ahmed of Dargahpur village in Ashashuni upazila of the district, Gazi Selim, 35, son of Mokhles Gazi of Chechori village in Dumuria upazila of Khulna, Rabiul Islam, 35, son of late
Wazed Ali of Channirchak village, Mostafizur Rahman, 36, son of late Shahjahan Ali of Maharajpur village in Koyra upazila, Faruk Sana, 25, son of late Mohammad Ali of Baroli village, and Amirul Islam, 25, son of Sekandar Ali of Sahapara village in Paikgachha upazila of Khulna.
Briefing reporters at the RAB-6 Satkhira office on Friday morning, deputy commanding officer of RAB-8 Barisal Major Adnan Kabir said they had information that a gang of smugglers was returning to Satkhira from the Sundarbans on motorbikes along with two tiger hides.
Following the information, a joint team of RAB-6 and Rab-8 took position in front of Itagachha Sangram Tower on Satkhira-Kaliganj road on Thursday night, he said.
As they gangsters approached the crime busters, they challenged them around 10:30pm. Later, the RAB members recovered two tiger hides and 10 bullets searching two motorcycles.
The RAB official said the arrestees confessed that they bought the two tiger hides from the poachers in the Sundarbans for Tk 5 lakh and were taking those for smuggling out of the country.
The arrestees also revealed the names of two other smugglers who had long been involved in the illegal practice, said Adnan Kabir.
