GUWAHATI, Nov 28 - In a major success against poaching, four notorious rhino poachers were arrested by a joint team of forest and police officials in Rangsali area of Behali in Biswanath district on Tuesday night.
Based on specific inputs, a search operation by forest and police officials was led by Range Officer Pranjal Baruah (Crime Investigation Range, Biswanath), Range Officer Nayan Jyoti Gogoi (Gamiri Range) and Sub-inspector Raju Dowarah, officer-in-charge of Behali PS with the help of Assam Forest Protection Force 2nd Battalion.
The team apprehended the poachers on the Botiamari-Rangsali Road around 9.30 pm while they were coming by a tempo auto bearing registration number AS-12-AC-5797 to hunt rhinos in Kaziranga National Park. A search resulted in the seizure of grocery rations and some incriminating articles used in rhino poaching.
The arrested poachers, including a sharpshooter from Manipur, have been identified as Paosanthang Guite alias Thang Boi (33) of Khominthang under New Ianka PS in Churachandpur district of Manipur, Babul Das alias Dudu (44), a wanted poacher of Dhalpur Dakuagaon under Dhalpur PS in Lakhimpur district, Bimal Bania alias Babu (24) of Nepalibarigaon, Batiamari under Behali PS in Biswanath district, and Sukhdev Mukhiya alias Gulna Bin (55), another wanted poacher of Khelmati Hahsara Bagan, Khelmati under Chariduar PS in Sonitpur district.
�This was the second attempt by this gang prior to which they had tried to enter the park area for poaching on November 8, which was successfully negated by the same team of forest and police officials on the same day,� Pranjal Baruah said.
The Crime Investigation Range had apprehended another poacher named Babul Das (38) of Chandrika Chariali, Rangsali Doloni under Behali PS on November 25. He was a member of the same group.
