Vessel looted, crew abducted near Barisal port in daylight

MV Darbar Sharif was going to Jhalakati from Chittagong with about 4,000 bags of salt.

As it reached the channel at a short distance from Barisal port at about 10 am, a speed boat came. Some miscreants jumped into the vessel and forced the crew to anchor it. They then tied the crew.

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Another vessel came with some people on board. They took about one thousand bags of salt onto their vessel. The loading and unloading continued for a long time. The miscreants kept the crew hostage at gunpoint and threatened not to shout.

As the sun set, they fled away safely with the speedboat, their vessel loaded with salt worth about Tk three lakh and two of the crew.

As the dacoits left, other crew of the vessel informed local people, who informed police.

Kotwali police said they seized the abandoned vessel with the rest about 3,000 bags of salt at 10 PM Monday.

Police could neither arrest the miscreants not rescue the abducted crew till filing of the report on Tuesday.

They said they have contacted police in Chittagong and Jhalakati to trace the owners of the cargo and the goods.