Three men were found dead in remote Thanchi upazila of Bandarban yesterday two days after they had been abducted.

The victims -- Abu Bakkar, 30, and his associates Absar Ali, 28, and Md Shabuddin, 29, of Obaidur Hakimpara under Alikadom upazila of the district -- were cattle traders. 

A group of local criminals called Tripura Group abducted them from remote Tong Pue Para around Saturday noon when they went there with Tk 2.5 lakh to buy cattle, police and family members said.  

“A member of the group called me and asked me to search for the body of my brother in the area,” said Abul Hashem, younger brother of Abu Bakkar.

Meanwhile, police arrested four men of the Tripura community in connection with the incident. They were identified as John Tripura, 23, Robert Tripura, 24, Joshin Tripura, 25, and Jibon Tripura, 27, of the upazila.

 Police recovered the bodies from remote Rombet Para in Thanchi upazila yesterday afternoon.

The bodies were blindfolded and their limbs tied, police said.

 Kaw Hla Ching Marma, chairman of Thanchi upazila, said the group had been involved in criminal activities, including killing and abduction, in the area for one and a half years.

The gang comprised of some 15-18 members of the Tripura community of the district is active in Ruma, Thanchi and Alikadom upazilas in Bandarban.

On March 21, it killed a union parishad chairman aspirant of Bandarban's Ruma upazila.