OUR CORRESPONDENT, Gazipur

Another person has been arrested in connection with the theft of three lemurs from Gazipur Safari Park in March.

The suspect, Majnu Mia, 55, was arrested from the Kalaipara area of Mymensingh’s Gafargaon upazila on November 4, said Jasim Uddin Khan, special police superintendent (media) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in a press statement issued on November 6.

Majnu, a resident of Kalaipara, is a member of an international animal trafficking ring. His statement was recorded in court under Section 164, the statement added. With his arrest, six people -- all members of the ring -- have so far been detained in connection with the theft. They had been smuggling rare animals stolen from Gazipur Safari Park abroad.

The other arrestees are Nipel Mahmud, 33; Jewel Mia, 42; Ismail Hossain Hridoy, 26; Delwar Hossain Tausif, 22; and Md Sabbir Hossain Tapan, 26. Of them, Nipel worked at the park through outsourcing.

CID said three endangered and rare ring-tailed lemurs -- two males and one female -- worth Tk 3 lakh were stolen from the park on March 23.

The next day, the park authorities filed a case with Sreepur Police Station after cleaning staff reported the theft.

The case is currently being investigated by the Gazipur District and Metro Division of CID.

Ring-tailed lemurs are endemic to Madagascar and are listed as internationally endangered.

According to the International Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife, the trade, conservation, or export of this species is strictly prohibited.

Hunting, selling, or trafficking them is also a punishable offence under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, 2012 of Bangladesh.