The suspended officials -- Atiqul Azam, conservator of forest, Chittagong Circle, and Dr Tapan Kumar Dey, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Chittagong North region -- went into hiding since the joint forces started drive to arrest them on different charges.

The joint forces on Sunday and Monday raided the offices and residences of the two forest officials in city's Nandan Kanan and Sholoshohar area but could not arrest them.

The forces recovered Tk 12.96 lakh in cash from the office of DFO Tapan, also the project director of Dulahazra Safari Park in Cox's Bazar, during the drive.