Three skeletons were stolen from a graveyard in Mirzapur upazila early yesterday.

Locals said they found four graves dug and three skeletons stolen from the graveyard at Shavulla village in Fotepur union.

Mirzapur Police Station Sub-Inspector Mohammad Nasim said, acting on information from locals, he went to the spot along with a police team and started investigating the matter.

A bitter anger is prevailing among the villagers over the incident, said Fotepur Union Parishad Chairman Abdur Rouf.

Contacted, AKM Mizanul Haque, officer-in-charge of the police station, said organised gangs of thieves have been active in stealing skeletons from graveyards and selling those to different buyers, including buyers from medical colleges and hospitals, at high prices.

"Police are trying to arrest the gangs of the thieves," he added.

Five skeletons had been stolen from a graveyard at Baniara village in the adjacent lamurki union under the same upazila on January 8 this year.