The Coast Guard has detained seven net makers, including an Indian national believed to be the key figure behind the production of banned “artisanal trawling” fishing nets in the Karnaphuli area of Chattogram. The arrests were made during a raid on Wednesday evening in the Char Patharghata area of the upazila.

According to a statement signed by Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq on Thursday afternoon, the operation was launched after receiving intelligence that prohibited artisanal trawling gear and trawl nets were being manufactured at a local facility. During the search, officers seized 12 trawl nets and related equipment worth an estimated Tk 3.6 million.

Among those detained was 39-year-old Pandit Biswas, an Indian citizen from South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. The remaining six detainees are Bangladeshi nationals. During preliminary questioning, Biswas admitted to being involved in the production of the banned artisanal trawling nets.

The Coast Guard noted that Biswas had previously been arrested on August 12 last year during a joint operation by the Coast Guard and the Army. After securing bail, he allegedly returned to the same illegal activity.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq said that legal action is being taken against the detainees and that the seized items have been confiscated. He added that the Coast Guard will continue such operations in the future.

Artisanal trawling boats are small wooden vessels illegally fitted with engines and equipped with fine-mesh “behundi” nets. These banned fishing methods cause extensive damage by destroying fish larvae, egg-bearing mother fish, and natural marine food sources in both shallow and deep waters, which is why they are prohibited in Bangladesh.