BARGUNA, March 3, (V7N) - A man was arrested with two slaughtered deer and a 900-foot hunting trap during a joint operation in Patharghata, Barguna early Tuesday morning.

Acting on secret information, joint forces raided the area near Badurtala Canal in Ward No. 8 of Patharghata Sadar Union around 2:30 am. The suspect, Md. Hanif (45) of Ward No. 7, Patharghata Municipality, was caught red-handed with the deer and trap.

A mobile court sentenced Hanif to one year of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Tk 50,000. Failure to pay will result in an additional three months of imprisonment. The order was issued by Magistrate Md. Panir Sheikh of Patharghata Senior Judicial Magistrate Court.

Forest Department officer-in-charge Abdul Hai said the skins and antlers of the deer have been preserved as per court order, while the meat was buried in soil mixed with kerosene.

The arrest highlights ongoing efforts to curb poaching in the Sundarbans and surrounding coastal areas, where illegal hunting continues to threaten wildlife populations.

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