The police on Saturday rescued five extinct species of Mukhpora Hanuman (capped langur) after searching an auto-rickshaw in the Shah Amanat Bridge area of Chittagong city.
At this time three persons were arrested. They are Md Salim, 53, Salauddin Quader, 35, and Nurul Kabir, 31.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police (South) Deputy Commissioner Mostafizur Rahman revealed the information in a press conference at Cheragi Hills on Saturday.
He said: “Interpol is conducting intelligence surveillance for wildlife conservation around the world. Acting on a tip-off from the police headquarters, the Baklia police station arrested three animal traffickers, including five Mukhpora Hanumans.”
Mostafizur Rahman said: “The police operation is going on to catch those who are involved in the gang. These three are just smugglers. They are using Chittagong as a route. A case has been filed against the three arrested. As per the law, the animals will be handed over to the forest department.”
He also said: “During interrogation, they said that five Hanumans were being brought to Chittagong from Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar. These hanumans were supposed to be handed over to a man named Imran at Baklia after crossing the Shah Amanat bridge. They were supposed to get Tk70 thousand for this. They planned to take them to the border of India to smuggle them abroad.
Earlier on October 30, the police arrested two smugglers with hog-badger (Arctonyx collaris F. Cuvier) in an auto-rickshaw in the Shah Amanat Bridge area of Baklia police station.