Members of Coast Guard, in a drive, arrested a member of the notorious robber gang ‘Sharif Bahini’ along with arms and ammunition from the Sundarbans in Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat district on Wednesday.

The arrestee was identified as Al Amin Bachhu Hawladar of Morelganj upazila.

Acting on a tip-off, a Coast Guard team conducted a drive under ‘Operation Mangrove Shield’ in the Drener Canal area near the Amurbunia Forest Office under the Sundarbans East Zone around 5 pm and found a hideout of the robber gang ‘Sharif Bahini’, said Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon.

Sensing the presence of Coast Guard personnel, the robbers attempted to flee. The Coast Guard members chased them and arrested one gang member, while the others managed to escape.

The team also seized four firearms, 20 rounds of cartridges, 74 empty cartridge shells, seven airgun pellets, a telescope, a solar panel, a battery, a walkie-talkie charger, a deer head and a boat from the hideout.

Later, Coast Guard members demolished the hideout.

Following interrogation, Coast Guard members raided Bachhu’s house in the PC Baroikhali area and recovered a number of items used for poaching wild animals.

He had long been involved in kidnapping fishermen and others from the Sundarbans and demanding ransom for their release, said Commander Sabbir.