The Coast Guard has detained eight people with deer meat and crabs in the Harbaria area of the Sundarbans and handed them over to the forest department.

Coast Guard media officer (Dhaka) Lieutenant Rafid-As-Sami said a raid was carried out on Thursday evening near the Dighir Khal at Harbaria in the Sundarbans, acting on a tip-off. The team seized 13.5 kilograms of deer meat, a deer's head, four legs, deer traps, nets, 18 kilograms of crabs, five litres of poison (pesticide) and two boats.

Eight people were detained at the spot on suspicion of involvement in hunting deer and crabs. On Thursday night the Coast Guard handed them over, with the deer meat, to the forest department's Chandpai forest office.

Rafid-As-Sami said the Coast Guard would continue such operations to keep the Sundarbans vibrant by preventing the killing and trafficking of wildlife.

The forest department has banned the collection of all forest resources, including fish and crabs, in the Sundarbans from 1 June to 30 August. Fishermen, bawalis (wood collectors) and tourists are not allowed into the forest during this period, which is mainly the breeding season for its plants, aquatic animals and wildlife.

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