The Forest Department has arrested five poachers for using poison to catch fish in Charaputia area of Sundarbans` Chandpai Range.

The arrests were made on Thursday afternoon by members of the Chandpai Smart Patrol Team-1 during a routine patrol.

The patrol team apprehended the five individuals as they were poisoning fish in the upper reaches of the Harmal Canal, near the Charaputia patrol outpost.

They also seized two bottles of poison, 20 kg of shrimp, and two small dinghy boats from the arrested individuals.

The arrestees were identified as Asadul Sheikh, 38; Kabir Sheikh, 48; Jihad Sardar, 28; Badsha, 28; and Yasin Sheikh, 22. All five are residents of Rampal Upazila in Bagerhat district.

Charaputia camp officer-in-charge (OC) Mostakin Billah confirmed the information and said that a case was filed against the accused under the Forest (POR) Act.

They have since been sent to jail through the Bagerhat court, the OC added.