Poacher arrested with rhino horn in Assam: Officials | Latest news India

Silchar: The Assam forest department, in collaboration with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and local police, has busted an illegal trade in animal body parts in Assam’s Sonitpur district and arrested a suspected rhino poacher, officials said on Friday.

The arrested suspect has been identified as Hanif Ali. He was arrested from Bharali Chapori area of ​​Jamugurihat in Sonitpur on Thursday evening with animal body parts, including a rhino horn, officials said.

Western Assam Wildlife Division Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) B Piraisoodan said they had received information about an illegal trade in animal bodies following which an operation was launched on Thursday evening.

“There were two other poachers and illegal traders, but they managed to flee. We recovered animal body parts and other evidence. A manhunt has been launched to arrest them,” Piraisoodan said.

The DFO said they have sent the recovered rhino horn to the Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA) to investigate its authenticity. “We are also trying to determine when and where the rhino was killed and the horn removed,” DFO said.

In March this year, the Special Task Force of Assam Police arrested three suspected rhino poachers and recovered a rhino horn weighing 7.14 kilograms from Kamrup district.

In January, Assam police arrested a team of suspected animal poachers for killing an adult female rhino in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Police also recovered an AK series rifle that was used to kill the rhino.

Assam recorded no rhino poaching in 2022.