9 fishing trawlers looted in Bay

A notorious gang of pirates led by Jalal of Fatrarbans in Taltali upazila of Barguna district looted fuel, fish and food from the trawlers which were returning to Mohipur bazaar after fishing in the Bay on Tuesday, police said yesterday.

Fifty fishermen were injured in attack by pirates. After committing the crime, they fled away towards Fatrarbans, 50 kilometre (KM) west of Kuakata sea beach, according to police. Police said they could not arrest them due to lack of speed boat.

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Police further said, the same gang attacked five fishing boats in the Andharmanik River last week.

Meanwhile, pirates introduced token system and are collecting illegal toll ranging Tk 5,000 to 10,000 from each boat in the Bay since the first week of January.

Fishermen in the coastal belt of Kuakata, Gongamoti, Khajura, Alipur and Mohipur in Patuakhali, Patharghata and Parerhat in Barguna and other parts of Pirojpur, Khulna and Bagherhat are now forced to take tokens in exchange of a big amount of money, according to fishermen in Kuakata area.

Pirates allegedly set a target to collect Tk 3 crore from 5,000 fishing boats till May this year, fishermen said. They are not allowing any fishing boat to ply in the Bay if the fishermen fail to show token containing picture of Royal Bengal Tiger with symbolic name of the gang, 'Laban Chora'.

Ten fishermen of a fishing boat owned by Md Farid in Gongamoti area of Noakhali district complained to Patuakhali police recently that fish worth Tk 40,000 was looted from their boat in February for their failure to show tokens.

Because of frequent attack of pirates, lives of fishermen have become miserable in Kuakata coast.