Pirates kidnap fishermen, loot their Hilsa catch from Sundarbans

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BAGERHAT, July 24 (UNB): Armed pirates kidnapped four fishermen along with a trawler and looted Hilsa fish from Kotkar Kader canal near the Sundarbans Tuesday morning, leaving five people injured.
Witnesses said a gang of pirates swooped on the trawlers and looted fish worth Tk 0.3 million from two trawlers. They beat up five fishermen as they tried to resist them.
The pirates took away four fishermen -- Siddique Sheikh, Kader Sheikh, Amir Hossain and Helal of Swarankhola Upazila -- along with a trawler and demanded a ransom of Tk 0.3 million.
Earlier on July 8, 11 and 12, the pirates looted fishing nets and fish worth over Tk 5.0 million from 28 trawlers and kidnapped over 100 fishermen for ransom.