The Forest Department seized a cargo vessel carrying around 260 tonnes of Indonesian coal and detained nine people over a suspected smuggling attempt through the Sundarbans in Bagerhat on Sunday afternoon.
The bulkhead vessel was intercepted on the Bhola River under the Sharankhola Range as it allegedly travelled through the protected forest’s waterways towards an undisclosed destination after loading coal from a mother vessel at Mongla Port.
Eastern Sundarbans Assistant Conservator of Forests Md Shariful Islam confirmed the seizure and arrests on Monday, saying two cases had been filed over the incident.
According to the Forest Department, the vessel had loaded nearly 260 tonnes of Indonesian coal from a mother vessel in the Joymoni area of the Poshur River at Mongla Port.
Instead of proceeding to its designated destination, the vessel allegedly entered the waterways of the Sundarbans. However, the authorities have yet to establish the coal’s ownership, intended destination or the legality of its transportation.
Forest guards led by Sharankhola Station Officer Shyama Prasad Rai spotted the vessel during a routine patrol on the Bhola River.
Suspicious of its movements, the guards intercepted the vessel and questioned those on board. The nine occupants were detained after failing to identify the actual owner of the coal.
The detainees were identified as Tarikul Islam, 34, Dulal Howlader, 34, Suman Talukder, 21, Nurnabi, 30, Enayet Karim, 40, Md Obaidul, 22, Mamun, 22, Md Laiek Miah, 50, and Kabir Hossain, 30.
They are residents of Mongla and Morelganj in Bagerhat, Bhandaria in Pirojpur and Brahmanbaria.
Shariful said a case had been filed under the Forest Act over the alleged illegal use of the reserved Sundarbans waterways to smuggle coal.
A separate case was filed under existing laws at Sharankhola Police Station, where the detainees were subsequently handed over.
Sharankhola Police Station Officer-in-Charge Rokeya Khanam confirmed that the Forest Department had handed over the nine detainees and the seized coal-laden vessel to police.
She said Sharankhola Station Officer Shyama Prasad Rai had filed the police case as the complainant.
Police were preparing to produce the accused before a court.
