Dhaka, April 16 -- In an effort to curb illegal fishing and maintain discipline on waterways across the country, members of the River Police arrested 279 people along with illegal nets and fish from different parts of the country in the past seven days till Thursday.

The drives were conducted to protect fisheries resources and ensure security on waterways.

During the drives, the river police also seized 43,271,280 metres of illegal nets, 4,158 kilograms of fish, 6,57,000 pieces of shrimp fry, 15,000 bagda shrimp fry and 1,328 kilograms of helly-mixed shrimp.

Besides, 133 bush piles were destroyed in rivers during the drives.

The River Police also filed cases against 83 bulkheads in naval courts for operating without valid documents. ...