Fifty-nine members of five pirate groups active in the Sundarbans surrendered to Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion on August 31, according to RAB Forces Director General Md Ahsan Habib Palash. At a Wednesday news conference at RAB-6 headquarters, he said follow-up raids at hideouts and forest locations recovered 59 firearms, 541 live rounds, 14 spent cartridges and seven walkie-talkies.

The surrendering members included 16 from the Boro Jahangir group, 13 from the Anarul group, 15 from the Afzal alias Dulabhai group, eight from the Aftab group and seven from the Mizan group. RAB said the recoveries during three days of searches included four shotguns, 47 one-shooter guns, four pipe guns, three air guns and one .22-bore rifle.

RAB said its Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans, involving the Coast Guard, local administration, naval police and Forest Department, has continued since March 2. The agency said the surrender came a day before the forest reopened on September 1 after a three-month closure, and urged remaining pirates to surrender or face legal action.