Forest department and police, in a joint drive, seized around five mounds of venison, skins and heads of two deer and two sacks of traps from Patharghata upazila of Barguna early today.

They also seized a fishing trawler, which was being used for smuggling the venison, heads and skins of deer, Hanif Sikder, officer-in-charge (OC) for Patharghata Police Station told The Daily Star.

But the team led by Md Bodiuzzaman Sohag, forest department’s beat officer of Char Lathimara Beat Office, failed to arrest anyone in this connection, the OC said

Police and forest officials raided Padma village around 3:00am after receiving information that a gang was waiting in a trawler on a canal near Bonoful Abason project for smuggling the venison, skin and deer heads, he said.

Photo: Star/ Sohrab Hossain‎

The smugglers managed to flee the scene leaving behind the seized items, the OC said.

Police are searching for Md Elias and Abdur Rahman of the village as they are suspected to be involved in the smuggling according to locals, the police official said.

The seized parts of the deer were handed over to Patharghata police.

A case has been filed in this connection with Patharghata Police Station, he added.