The Forest Department and police have arrested seven persons in two separate operations in connection with rhino horn trading in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.
Based on intelligence input, forest department officials and Bokakhat police on Friday had jointly launched an operation and arrested a person named Rameswar Singnar from Karbi Anglong district who was trying to sell a piece of rhino horn.
Later, the team of police and forest officials arrested three others who were also involved in illegal rhino horn trading.
The arrested persons were identified as Rameswar Singnar, Dhanpur Kardong, Hariram Ingti and Biman Taro.
Earlier, on Thursday, the forest officials and police had arrested three others in connection with rhino horn trading in 2016.
A case has been registered by the forest department.
A forest official said after receiving information about a broken rhino horn, the forest department and police had jointly launched an operation and arrested a person.
“During interrogation, the man confessed that he received one piece of rhino horn from another person named Dhanpur Kardong. Accordingly, we followed all persons and during the process, we had arrested Haliram Ingti, Dhanpur Kardong, Rameswar Singnar and Biman Taro,” the forest official said.
A forest official said, “Poachers have killed 31 one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga National Park since 2016. According to the state forest department data, poachers killed 12 rhinos in Kaziranga National Park in 2016, 7 in 2017, 6 in 2018, 3 in 2019 and three in this year so far. During the period, the state forest department and police had arrested more than 200 rhino poachers and recovered a large number of arms, ammunition including AK series rifle.”
