Coast Guard (CG) members rescued 33 fishers, including six women, from a den of pirates, who allegedly abducted them for ransom a few days back, from a deep jungle in the Sundarbans.
The CG men also recovered 16 fishing boats from the den but no pirate could be detained in this regard. All the victims hail from Koyra upazila of Khulna district.
According to a CG statement issued on Thursday, the operatives of the notorious Karim Sharif pirate gang abducted the fishers and took away their boats while they were fishing in the Karkari River of the mangrove forest.
50 pirates surrender with firearms in Ctg
The pirates took the victims to their den and demanded Tk 10, 000 as ransom to their families against each victim, reads the statement.
Acting tipped-off, the CG members from Mongla Base and Nalian Outpost conducted a raid in the river to rescue the victims from 11am to 7pm on Wednesday.
Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, the pirates opened fire in the blank and at one stage they fled the remote forest, said the statement.
Later, the fishers were rescued from the den, along with the boats.
After giving first-aid at Koyra station of the CG, a process was underway to hand over the victims to their families, it added.