Twenty-five maunds of jatka (juvenile hilsa) have been seized in raids on three passenger buses in Kalapara, Patuakhali. A mobile court fined the three bus drivers Tk 15,000.

The upazila administration seized the crates of fish from the Sheikh Kamal Bridge area of Kalapara on the night of Saturday (30 November).

At least a hundred more crates of other sea fish were seized at the same time and later handed back to their rightful owners. The illegal fish was distributed among 96 madrasas in the upazila and the people present. RP Paribahan, Modern Paribahan and Sea-Line Paribahan were fined Tk 5,000 each, Tk 15,000 in total, for carrying the illegal fish.

The drive was led by Kalapara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Rabiul Islam and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Koushik Ahmed.

UNO Md Rabiul Islam said: "Acting on a tip-off, we seized at least 25 maunds of jatka, which is banned from being caught, in 17 crates. There were also at least a hundred crates of legal fish with them, all of which we have handed over to the rightful owners. Legal action will be taken against the drivers and helpers for carrying them."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.