Sundarbans, Jan 06 (V7N) - A joint task force led by the Coast Guard has successfully rescued two tourists and a resort owner who were kidnapped in the Sundarbans. The gang, led by forest outlaw Masum, had abducted the victims from the Kenua Canal on Friday afternoon, demanding a ransom of Tk 40 lakh. The Coast Guard, Navy, police, and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) carried out coordinated operations to recover the hostages, ultimately rescuing them late Sunday night near the Gazi Fisheries area adjacent to the Sundarbans. Six associates of the criminal gang were also arrested during the operation.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq, Coast Guard media officer in Dhaka, reported that on Friday at approximately 3:00 PM, a group of seven, including the resort owner, went on an open boat ride from Golkanan Resort into the Kenua Canal. During the outing, Masum’s gang seized the group, initially releasing four individuals while holding the two tourists and the resort owner hostage. The abductors then moved the captives to an undisclosed location within the Sundarbans and demanded ransom.

The resort authorities promptly informed the Coast Guard, which led a coordinated operation with the Navy, police, and RAB, intensifying surveillance and searches across multiple areas of the Sundarbans. During the raids, key associates were apprehended: Kuddus Hawladar (43), Md. Salam Box (24), and Mehedi Hasan (19) near Golkanan Resort; Alam Matbor (38) in the Kailashganj area. Additionally, in Rupsa Thana’s Palerhat area, Masum’s mother Zainabi Bibi (55) and mobile financial service operator Ayon Kundu (30) were arrested while attempting to collect Tk 81,400 in ransom.

Using drone surveillance, authorities located and rescued the two kidnapped tourists and the Golkanan Resort owner near the Gazi Fisheries area. The main outlaw, Masum Mridha, remains at large, with ongoing operations underway to apprehend him.

The Coast Guard confirmed that the rescued tourists have been reunited with their families and that the arrested associates are being handed over to the relevant police stations. The agency emphasized that future operations will continue to ensure the safety of tourists and the general public in the Sundarbans and coastal areas.

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